Speaker Paul Ryan FIRED The House Chaplain And The Reason Is Absolutely Disgusting
Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. has been in a whirlwind this past week over the controversy
surrounding the firing of the House Chaplain.
Sources on both sides of the aisle are anonymously telling media outlets that House Chaplain
Patrick Conroy was unceremoniously pushed out for unknown reasons.
However, the reason may be well known after all.
Rumors indicate that he was asked to leave after making political comments in his daily
prayer, one in particular regarding tax reform.
The Hill reported,
"Conroy's own resignation announcement stated that it was done at Ryan's request.
"As you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation as the 60th Chaplain of the United
States House of Representatives," the April 15 letter to Ryan, obtained by The Hill, states.
Through his office, Conroy, who has served as chaplain since 2011, declined to comment
on Thursday.
His resignation is effective May 24.
Four different sources — two from each party — say Conroy was told that he must retire
or that he would be dismissed.
The message from Ryan was delivered by his chief of staff, Jonathan Burks.The issue has
riled House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who broached the episode during the Democrats'
whip meeting in the Capitol Thursday morning.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are planning to send a letter to Ryan requesting additional
information regarding Conroy's dismissal; the group is currently circulating the letter
among colleagues to collect more signatures.
The thinking among Democrats is that Ryan pushed Conroy out "because Republicans thought
he was aligned with Democrats," according to a senior Democratic aide familiar with
the discussion.
House chaplains, who offer an opening prayer each day the House is in session, are supposed
to be nonpartisan.
It's unclear exactly what if any political dispute, however, led to the chaplain's
dismissal.
A Democratic lawmaker said that the Speaker took issue with a prayer on the House floor
that could have been perceived as being critical of the GOP tax-cut bill.
On Nov. 6 — the first day of the markup on the GOP's tax bill — Conroy in a prayer
urged lawmakers to ensure the legislation did not exacerbate the nation's gaping class
disparities.
"May all Members be mindful that the institutions and structures of our great Nation guarantee
the opportunities that have allowed some to achieve great success, while others continue
to struggle," Conroy said at the time.
"May their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under
new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans."
A senior GOP aide said Conroy's exit "was not because of any particular prayer."
Ryan's and Pelosi's offices agree that Pelosi was told in advance that the chaplain
was leaving.
AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said it was Ryan's decision, but declined to
offer a reason for the move.
She added that Pelosi and her office "were fully read in and did not object."
"The speaker told Leader Pelosi that he would not move forward with the decision if
she objected and she chose not to," Strong said.
In a separate statement to media outlets late Thursday, Strong said, "The speaker consulted
with the minority leader, but the decision was his.
He remains grateful for Father Conroy's service."
Pelosi's office disputed that the Democrat did not object.
"Leader Pelosi was given advance notice by Speaker Ryan," said a Pelosi spokesman,
but she "also made it clear to Speaker Ryan that she disagreed with this decision."
A second Democratic aide said Conroy's ouster was "largely driven by a speech on the tax
bill that the Speaker didn't like."
But the source also offered a second reason.
"Some of the more conservative evangelical Republicans didn't like that the Father
had invited a Muslim person to give the opening prayer," the source said.
When Pelosi, who is Catholic, informed members of her whip team on Thursday morning that
Conroy was pushed out against his will, it "shocked" the members, according to one
lawmaker.
Catholic members on both sides of the aisle were furious to learn that Conroy's retirement
was not voluntary, according to multiple sources, including one Republican lawmaker and one
Democratic member.
Ryan, who is also Catholic, has appointed Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), an Air Force Reserve
chaplain, as well as Reps. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), both former pastors,
to lead the search effort to find a replacement.
Conroy's arrival on Capitol Hill was also marked with some controversy.
The Jesuit priest was nominated by former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in May 2011,
but Pelosi urged additional vetting of the pick after learning that Conroy was then working
for a Catholic religious order — the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus — that
had agreed just months earlier to pay $166 million to victims of sexual abuse going back
decades.
There was no evidence that Conroy was involved in the scandal, nor did Pelosi suggest that
was the case.
After further questioning, she endorsed his nomination."
One of the primary problems with this controversy is that if Minority Leader Pelosi sincerely
had so much of a problem with the firing and resignation than she should have objected
to it instead of simply disagreeing.
She has no room to talk.
If she felt something was so suspicious about it she should have used her power to avoid
the outcome but she didn't.
Which makes it look like now she is trying to make this a controversy for no other reason
than to just be obstructionist.
Especially considering she was initially wary of his nomination.
Moreover, even if it was not his intent to make a political comment, his prayer was perceived
as taking a side on the tax reform issue.
But it is not the job of the House Chaplain to take political sides, in fact, it is his
job to do the exact opposite and to serve his ministry to all members.
The same as the House Physician is not supposed to have any political affiliation or speak
his political opinions in public.
This is just the way this business works and if you cannot abide by those rules you should
not be working there.
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