National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017
During the House Armed Services Committee mark-up of the FY2017 NDAA, Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) successfully offered a sweeping amendment that would sanction taxpayer-funded hiring discrimination. In short, it would require that the grants and contracts issued by every single federal agency permit religiously affiliated organizations to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion.
Under the Russell amendment, a faith-based organization could take taxpayer money to perform a social service for the public—like run the local homeless shelter or work with at-risk youth—and then only hire people who belong to the organization’s denomination or profess the same beliefs to work there. Religious hospitals and schools that get government grants or contracts could do the same. The result: government-funded jobs will be denied to qualified candidates because they are of the “wrong" religion.
Bill Status: Russell Amendment Stripped from Bill in Conference Committee on November 30, 2016; Conference Report adopted by Congress on December 8, 2016
Media
U.S. Congress Passes $618.7 Billion Annual Defense Bill - Reuters
Republicans Strip Their Anti-LGBTQ Provision from Defense Bill - The Huffington Post
Gay Rights Looms As Hurdle To Passing Defense Policy Bill
- Associated Press
Exclusive: Obama Would Veto Defense Bill Over Discrimination Issue
- Roll Call
Controversial 'Religious Liberty' Provision Puts Defense Bill in Limbo - NBC
Fight Over LGBT Provision Threatens To Stall Defense Bill When Congress Returns - The Washington Post
Can Faith-Based Groups Hire And Fire Based On Their Beliefs? - Reveal
Letters
Congress
Read the letter from 42 senators to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees
Read the letter from House Democrats to the House Armed Services Committee
Coalition
Read the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination letter to House and Senate Leaders
Read the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination letter to the House Armed Serviced Committee
Read the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee
Read the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination letter to the House
Blog Posts
Congress Rejected Russell: Let’s Celebrate, But There Are More Fights Ahead
Americans United And Allies Deliver Over 342,000 Signatures Opposing Russell Amendment To Congress
In Congress, The Fight Against Discrimination Is Now
It's Time To Act! Tell Congress To #RejectRussell
The NDAA’s Russell Amendment Goes Much Broader Than Just Defense Policy
#RejectRussell: 42 Senators Reject Dangerous Provision To Sanction Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination
The Russell Amendment Is The Worst Of The Bush Faith-Based Initiative
Tell Congress To Strike Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination From The NDAA
Legislators Need to Strip Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination from Defense Bill
Congress Should Scrap Government-Funded Discrimination From Defense Bill
How the Energy and Water Funding Bill Turned into a Fight Over Religious Discrimination
Despite Best Efforts, House NDAA Still Sanctions Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination
New Amendment Introduced To Strip Discriminatory Russell Provision From NDAA
NDAA's Government-Funded Discrimination Amendment Passes House Armed Services Committee