JD Vance warns of Harris’ ‘prejudice against Catholics’ in op-ed for Pittsburgh outlet

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 25, 2024 / 14:50 pm

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance accused Vice President Kamala Harris of being prejudiced against Catholics in an op-ed published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — the largest newspaper in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

“There was once a time in our nation’s history when both parties agreed on a common set of ideals, among them the understanding that an individual’s First Amendment right to practice his or her faith supersedes the political agenda of any bureaucrat, elected official, or political party,” Vance wrote in the Oct. 24 op-ed.

“Ms. Harris has made clear that time has passed,” said Vance, an adult convert to Catholicism. “Only by rejecting her record of anti-Catholic bias will we ensure religious liberty for all.”

The two campaigns are competing aggressively to win Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral college votes as polls continue to show an extremely narrow race in the Keystone State. According to polling averages from RealClearPolling, former president Donald Trump is ahead by six-tenths of a percentage point, which is well within the margin of error. 

In recent days, both Trump and Vance have been trying to rally Catholics and other Christians to support their ticket, frequently accusing Harris of prejudice against those voting blocs. Harris, who is a Baptist, has held several events at Protestant churches.

The Vance op-ed came just two days after Harris announced that she would not compromise with Republicans on the issue of abortion and rejected any faith-based exemptions for laws.

In the op-ed, Vance criticized Harris for her support of the Do No Harm Act and the Equality Act. The former would have removed religious exemptions for government mandates related to abortion, contraception, and transgender services in health care laws. The latter would have subjected Catholic and other faith-based institutions to anti-discrimination laws related to homosexuality and transgenderism by removing religious liberty exemptions.

“If this bill were to become law, Catholic doctors and medical professionals who refuse to perform late-term abortions or subject minors to dangerous, life-altering surgeries could lose their license and face federal discrimination lawsuits,” Vance wrote of the Do No Harm Act.

“Among many potential consequences, this legislation would demand that Catholic churches host same-sex weddings, require Catholic schools (and all federally funded education institutions) to allow men to compete in women’s sports and share women’s restroom and locker room facilities, and strip faith-based charities of their tax-exempt status,” Vance added about the Equality Act.

Vance further criticized Harris for scrutinizing judicial nominees, including Brian Buescher, for being members of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. When she was a senator, she grilled three nominees about their memberships, with questions focused on the Knights of Columbus’ adherence to Catholic teachings about abortion and homosexuality. 

“In addition to slandering the Knights, Ms. Harris suggested that Judge Buescher was unfit to serve on the bench because of his Catholic faith,” Vance said. “Any first-year law student would tell you that her line of questioning qualifies as an unconstitutional religious test for public office.”

The Republican vice presidential nominee also launched criticism about Harris’ role in the Biden administration.

Vance criticized the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) for claiming there was “no malicious intent” behind a leaked Richmond FBI memo that sought to investigate a supposed link between so-called “radical traditionalist Catholics” and “the far-right white nationalist movement.”

The since-retracted memo called for developing sources within Catholic churches that celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass and within traditionalist Catholic online communities. Vance called the memo a “clear-cut instance of anti-Catholic prejudice.”

Vance also denounced the Biden-Harris DOJ and FBI for its treatment of Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck — a father of seven whose home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was raided after an altercation he had outside of an abortion clinic.

The DOJ tried to prosecute Houck for an alleged assault against a man who was berating his 12-year-old son even though local authorities declined to press charges. A jury of 12 people found that he was not guilty.

Vance said the Biden-Harris administration “has been busy targeting suburban Catholic dads” while “it has essentially ignored the nearly 300 attacks on Catholic churches since the leak of the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision in 2022.”

“As a Catholic myself, I have a personal investment in ending this consistent pattern of anti-Catholic policies and actions. But even non-Catholics and nonreligious Americans should be alarmed,” Vance wrote. 

“If politicians can use the power of the government to target Catholics for their faith or force them into compromising their beliefs,” he added, “they can trample any of the rights we hold dear if those rights get in the way of their agenda.”

Pittsburgh has a larger Catholic population than the general American population, with nearly one-third of residents belonging to the Church.

Some recent polls show that Catholic voters are nearly evenly divided on the 2024 presidential election. According to a September Pew Research Center survey, about 52% of Catholics support Trump and 47% support Harris. A poll conducted by the National Catholic Reporter found that Catholics in the seven most tightly contested swing states preferred Trump 50% to Harris’ 45%.