Last week, Senator Chuck Grassley joined the Rev. Robert McTeigue, S.J., on “The Catholic Current,” which airs on KCRD-FM in Dubuque.
During the interview, Grassley discussed views shared by his Democrat U.S. Senate opponent, Mike Franken, who said this about certain churches: “I would take away their tax exemptions and I would use that as a club.”
Grassley reacted to these comments during the interview and said, “You’re quoting the most extreme point of view I’ve heard on religion from anybody … The free exercise of religion is the most basic fundamental right that we have in America. Remember, we don’t get our rights from the government. We’re endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
“And one of the things that we ought to be protected from is any government interference in our faith, whatever church it’s run through or we associate with. If there’s an effort to tax that, as my opponent seems to be suggesting —from your quote, as I heard you say it —the power to tax is the power to destroy,” Grassley continued.
Listen to the full interview below:
Additional quotes from the interview below:
On Grassley’s Pro-Life Stance
“I want everybody to know that I’m pro-life — have been all my political career. I am pro-mother and pro-family. … this will be better settled if it’s settled by the states going forward.”
On his Pro-Family Legislative Efforts
“I’m very active in foster care legislation because I hear so many people in foster care say they get bounced around from one foster care home to another foster care home, and what they’d like to do is have a mom and a dad. Obviously, if their own blood mother and dad can fill that, that’s where it should be, but they need a permanent home. They need a mother and father. That’s one thing I’m involved in. I think also another thing is the reduction of the cost of pharmaceutical medicine. I’ve got the Grassley-Wyden bill that I’ve been promoting for a long period of time that I think would help along that line.”
