In response to COVID-19, Congress unanimously passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help states financially. Pennsylvania asked the federal government for $523.8 million in emergency funds to help schools, both public and private. Washington responded by granting $471 million.
Washington authorized $66 million to be spent on private and religious schools, but Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is allotting $19 million. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is accusing him of "misappropriating some $47 million in federal funds and harming families who have chosen to send their children to Catholic and nonpublic schools."
If he can get away with this money grab, shortchanging religious and private schools, other governors may follow suit. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is correct. What Wolf is doing is indefensible. We all need to sound off.
Dr. William Donohue is the president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. The publisher of the Catholic League journal, Catalyst, Donohue is a former Bradley Resident Scholar at the Heritage Foundation and served for two decades on the board of directors of the National Association of Scholars. He is the author of eight books, and the winner of several teaching awards and many awards from the Catholic community. Read Bill Donohue's Reports — More Here.
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