Very first paragraph.
The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.
Sounds like a bailout to me.
It sounds to me like you are projecting.
He needs a reading comprehension class too:
Simply being eligible for low-interest loans was a new opportunity. But the church couldn't have been approved for so many loans — which the government will forgive if they are used for wage, rent and utilities — without a second break.
Religious groups persuaded the Trump administration to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant with more than 500 workers. Without this preferential treatment, many Catholic dioceses would have been ineligible because — between their head offices, parishes and other affiliates — their employees exceed the 500-person cap.
lobbying + special exemption = bail out
Baptist churches are independent. Very few even those who operate schools have over 500 employees. You apparently would have no problem with funding to pay their custodians and teachers who would have been laid off, or paying the light bills, or rent.
A Catholic diocese may operate dozens of schools and other facilities. Each of these has custodians, teachers, and other employees, who might have been laid off. What you are actually advocating is preferential treatment to churches that do not have a hierarchical structure. I'm surprised you aren't advocating for breaking up the Catholic monopolies.
Catholic members of Congress are overwhelmingly Democratic, many who may have attended Catholic schools (e.g. Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi). You don't think the bishops weren't also lobbying these members?
Now imagine you received $100,000 loan for your small business, which would be forgiven if used for wages of your employees, keeping the electricity on, and paying the rent. Did you
amass $100,000? Know you'd say it went in one pocket and out the other (and you would have all the receipts to prove that is how you spent the money). Assuming you didn't forge receipts you did not amass a penny. Moreover, all money was electronic transferred so it was never in your pockets.
