Pat Dollard | Young Americans

By VICTORIA MCGRANE
The Republican crusade against ACORN continues.

IllinoisRepublican Rep. Judy Biggert introduced legislation Thursday to strip the community-organizing group of its certification to qualify for federal housing dollars.

“It’s abundantly clear that ACORN and its affiliates cannot be trusted as a federally-certified entity,” Biggert said in a statement. “Given the group’s clear links to illegal and inappropriate activities, how can we knowingly give them federal certification to divert precious resources from legitimate housing counselors working overtime to help struggling homeowners?”

Republicans have been after ACORN for more than a year – they were suspicious of the group’s voter registration efforts on behalf of then-candidate Barack Obama last year. And Republicans have successfully offered amendments to strip money from the ACORN after two conservative filmmakers caught ACORN employees offering tax evasion advice to a fake pimp and prostitute.

The legislation would suspend ACORN’s Housing and Urban Development Department certification as an approved housing counseling agency, a status that allows ACORN to qualify for federal housing grants and helps them raise money from other sources.

And if there was any doubt about how the GOP feels about ACORN, look no futher than the name of Biggert’s bill — the Suspend ACORN Certification Act, which she has shortened to the “SAC” Act.