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| Vice President JD Vance File Photo |
Washington DC - Senator Vance, known for his outspoken Catholic faith, expressed his disappointment last week over a statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) criticizing certain Trump-era immigration policies. Vance accused the bishops of prioritizing financial incentives over humanitarian concerns.
“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?” Vance questioned during an interview. He further criticized the group for what he perceived as a lack of support for stricter immigration enforcement policies, which he argued were endorsed by American voters.
USA TODAY has reached out to the USCCB for comment. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, issued a statement addressing Trump’s policies, opposing broad executive orders on immigration but supporting actions concerning federal gender policy.
In the same interview, Vance defended two of President Trump’s appointees: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for director of national intelligence.
Hegseth narrowly secured Senate confirmation last week amid allegations of misconduct, including sexual assault and excessive drinking. The vote faced resistance from Republicans, with Senators Mitch McConnell (KY), Susan Collins (ME), and Lisa Murkowski (AK) opposing Hegseth’s nomination. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in his capacity as vice president of the Senate.
On Gabbard’s nomination, Vance expressed optimism despite anticipated scrutiny over her controversial 2017 trip to Syria, where she met with President Bashar al-Assad. Critics have accused Gabbard of legitimizing Assad, who was facing allegations of war crimes, and echoing pro-Russian rhetoric in past statements.
“We need to have good intelligence services that keep us safe, but part of that is restoring trust in those services, and we think Tulsi is the right person to do it,” Vance asserted.
Gabbard is expected to face bipartisan questioning during her Senate confirmation hearings, as lawmakers examine her past actions and statements. Meanwhile, Vance’s remarks about the USCCB highlight growing tensions over the intersection of religion, immigration, and privacy policy.
