Tax bill retains prohibition on political endorsements from pulpit

A provision that would have freed churches to make political endorsements has been dropped from the Republican tax overhaul. Evangelical groups such as the Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom have for years sought to abolish IRS rules that bar electioneering by houses of worship and other charitable groups. President Trump pressed the fight on the campaign trail and in the White House. Advocacy groups on both sides of the issue say they expect lawmakers to keep trying to loosen rules over partisanship in the pulpit, even as this latest effort has reached a dead end.