On this #ReligiousFreedomDay, nine federal agencies under President Trump’s administration have issued rules to ensure that religious organizations receive equal and fair treatment as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
In case you missed them, here are some highlights of these new rules:
Protects the constitutional rights of faith-based institutions;
Removes regulatory burdens on religious organizations;
Safeguards First Amendment freedoms;
Levels the playing field between religious and non-religious organizations competing for federal grants;
Better ensures that programs are implemented in a manner that treats religious organizations fairly; and
Clarifies that religious organizations may apply for grants on the same basis as any other organization.
Additionally, the Education Department issued updated guidance on constitutionally protected prayer in public elementary and secondary schools. The guidance is required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and is being updated for the first time since 2003.
Education and Labor Committee Republicans commend Secretaries Betsy DeVos, Eugene Scalia, Sonny Perdue, Alex Azar, and Attorney General William Barr for their continued efforts to promote religious freedom.
BACKGROUND: More than 230 years ago the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Authored and championed by Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the statute led to our nation’s First Amendment, which has been a powerful instrument to protect our most sacred freedoms. It guarantees Americans the freedom to think, speak, and believe as they choose. Few other countries provide the same protections and freedoms that our First Amendment guarantees. We are ‘the land of the free’ because of it. Our individual liberties are the envy of people around the world, and they are the cornerstone of the world’s oldest democracy.
