Congressman Jody Hice: Religious Liberty and Good Business are Benefits of Republican Majority

In a one-on-one interview with Merion West, Georgia Congressman Jody Hice explains how his background as a Christian pastor informs his worldview, his bill to address the taxpayer burden of former presidents’ pensions, and a possible solution to easing division in a polarized America.

On March 22, Congressman Jody Hice (R-Ga.) joined Merion West’s Michael DeSantis to discuss his background as a pastor and his advocacy related to the Johnson Amendment, promoting business in his home state of Georgia, and the state of political divisions in the United States today.

Good morning, Congressman Hice. It’s a pleasure to have you with us today. I read your op-ed in The Hill about protecting free speech rights through the tax bill and your efforts to address the Johnson Amendment [the provision in the tax code introduced in 1954 that forbids nonprofit organizations from expressing opinions on political candidates]. As a pastor, how do you see the current state of affairs in the country when it comes to religious freedom?

Religious freedom obviously is a cornerstone in America. What we’re seeing today is that it’s being pushed into the backseat. Actually, religious freedom is literally under assault these days. Religious liberty and the faith that people hold dearly should not be a matter of just toleration.

This is something that is an inherent and inalienable right that’s granted to us by our Constitution. It’s something that’s granted by God and not by our government. To see these attacks against religious liberties these days extremely alarming. You mentioned specifically with the Johnson Amendment. As you know, I was a pastor for almost 30 years, and my first and utmost calling is to serve and honor the Lord. Thus, religious liberty is very important to me.