E&W Blog

“As we recognize National Religious Freedom Day, I am reminded, sadly, that religious freedom—a fundamental human right—is under attack in this country. Too many Americans are being forced to abandon their beliefs. This is wrong. Religious freedom is a non-negotiable right, and faith should be carried with us no matter where we may go. As a man of faith, whenever I see religious freedom protections being chipped away, I will take a stand,” said Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI).

In case you missed it, here are some examples of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to erode religious freedom:

• Guidance related to prayer in public elementary and secondary schools revokes clear language protecting students’ religious freedom while at school, raising the possibility that a student may have to remove all religious expression from his or her speech if disseminated by the school.
• Faith-based contractors are losing invaluable protections which safeguarded their ability to compete for federal government contracts freely and fairly. In other words, they are forced to choose between their faith and their work.
• Private health plans must cover abortions and gender-reassignment surgeries, forcing medical professionals to perform these services, despite religious or moral objections.

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.