Pelosi Statement on Speaker Ryan’s Firing of Chaplain Pat Conroy

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Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on Speaker Paul Ryan’s dismissal of House Chaplain Father Pat Conroy:

“Father Pat Conroy’s service for the last seven years has been a blessing of grace and dignity to the House of Representatives.  He has ministered to the needs of Members of the Congress, regardless of party.

“Father Conroy was elected to a 2-year term by the whole House of Representatives.  His abrupt, unjust dismissal is hard to understand and impossible to support.  I commend Chairman Joe Crowley for his privileged resolution to establish a Select Committee to investigate the motivation for this unwarranted dismissal.

“It is my hope that we will honor Father Conroy’s service by pursuing justice and making clear the true motivations of this unjust action.  I have expressed my forceful disagreement with this decision to the Speaker.  It is truly sad that he made this decision, and it is especially bewildering that he did so only a matter of months before the end of his term.  The Speaker did this knowing that he had no power to fire Father Conroy and instead chose to force him out by demanding his resignation.

“During Father Conroy’s entire service, I’ve never received a complaint from our Members about him pastoring to the needs of the House.”