Cruz Control?: Texas Senator Says Religious Freedom Protects Atheists, Muslims

It should surprise no one that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) mentioned religious freedom in his speech to the Republican National Convention last night. But this time, Cruz deviated from his usual rhetoric.
 

Former AU Law Clerk Explains Personal Side Of Supreme Court's Non-Decision In Zubik

In an editorial published in Rewire, former Americans United law clerk Alison Tanner stressed that the Supreme Court's non-decision in Zubik v. Burwell leaves thousands of students like her in healthcare limbo.

Netroots Nation Conference Connects Protect Thy Neighbor With Social Justice Activists Nationwide

AU Field Associate Erin Hagen describes her experience at the 2016 Netroots Convention and how Protect Thy Neighbor takes part in social justice activism.

FRC’s FADA Fade Away

We all know that in politics, sometimes people say one thing and mean another. It isn’t that often, though, that a group flip flops in a way that makes it so obvious.

Read Our First Amendment Defense Act House Committee Hearing Storify!

Did you miss Tuesday's hearing on the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)? Don't worry– you can catch up on our Storify, where we bring you video, commentary, and tweets from the afternoon's events. 

Ann Doe Allowed To Participate In Notre Dame Contraception Case

Yesterday afternoon, the Seventh Circuit allowed Ann Doe, a student at the University of Notre Dame, to participate in the university’s lawsuit against the government, challenging provisions of the Affordable Care Act. If Notre Dame is successful in the case, it will deprive the university’s students, faculty, and staff of health insurance that covers contraception.

Bogus Defense: U.S. House Holds Hearing On Bill That Would Violate First Amendment and Harm LGBT Persons

Tuesday was the one-month anniversary of the shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people. This has been a difficult month for the LGBT community, yet on the anniversary, House Republicans held a hearing on a bill aimed at allowing discrimination against same-sex couples and their families in the name of “religious freedom.”

A 1-2 Punch: Congress Tries to Turn Back Civil Rights

Image by Bryancalabro

Image by Bryancalabro

In 2014, the District of Columbia adopted the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act. The RHNDAA protects District employees and their dependents from discrimination based on their personal reproductive healthcare decisions, including for example, whether to use birth control or to treat infertility with IVF. It ensures that employees and their families can make their own private health decisions, including whether, when, and how to start a family and what the size of their family should be, without fear of losing their jobs or facing retribution from their employers. At heart, the RHNDAA is about simple fairness. People should be judged at work based on their performance, not on their personal, private reproductive healthcare decisions.

Unfortunately, since its passage, Congress has sought to undo this non-discrimination law, often invoking religious liberty concerns. Contrary to opponents’ claims, however, the RHNDAA does not violate religious freedom protections. Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. It guarantees us the freedom to hold any belief we choose without government interference. It cannot, however, be used to trump others’ civil rights, and it should not justify striking down laws that ensure people are treated fairly.

The District of Columbia and Congress have a complicated relationship. Members of Congress can interfere with D.C.’s local laws even though they are not accountable to the residents of the District. Bills passed by the D.C. Council are subject to a thirty-day congressional review, and during that period, Congress can pass a “resolution of disapproval” to nullify the law.

Congress’ first attempted to stop RHNDAA last year through a “resolution of disapproval.” Reproductive rights, LGBT, religious liberty, and faith groupsincluding AU, joined forces to strongly oppose the resolution. We all recognized it for what it was, another attempt to use religion as an excuse to discriminate. The House passed the resolution, 228-192; the Senate didn’t debate it, recognizing that the District should be able to make its own decisions about how to protect its residents from discrimination.

But you know the old adage—if at first you don’t succeed ….

Last week, Congress tried a new tactic. Since Congress has control over a portion of the purse of the District, it has the power to prohibit the city from spending money on its own programs. So Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) (note he represents Alabama and not D.C.) offered an amendment to the bill that funds a part of DC’s budget that would prohibit the District from using any funds to enforce this law—essentially making the law null and void. The amendment passed 223-192. Americans United strongly opposed this amendment.

It’s now up to the Senate—and horse-trading in the upcoming negotiations on funding for the entire U.S. government—to see if Congress will curtail civil rights in the District. We’ll be watching. 

Not One, But Three: All Versions Of FADA Sanction Discrimination In The Name Of "Religious Liberty"

The legislators pushing FADA have realized just how egregious it is and have floated two other proposals that might make it better at the margins—but at heart, they still sanction discrimination under the guise of religion.

Inappropriate Appropriations: U.S. House Approves Spending Bill Limiting Reproductive Rights While Boosting School Vouchers And Pulpit Politicking

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an important appropriations bill (HR 5485) on Thursday that will help fund the federal government for the next year. Tucked into this legislation are three troubling provisions that would weaken church-state separation and harm true religious liberty.

    Congress Should Learn From FADA Backlash In The States

    The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced that it will hold a hearing on HR 2802, the deceptively named First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), on July 12. The Committee’s decision to hold this hearing is surprising given the backlash that states have faced when trying to pass and enact their own FADA legislation

    Federal FADA Hearing Set for July 12

    It's official: Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced that he has scheduled a hearing on this harmful legislation for July 12, 2016 at 10:00 AM.

    Religious Hospital Mergers: Hazardous to Your Health?

    A new MergerWatch report reveals only 10 states require any governmental review before hospital systems can merge and eliminate much-needed health services. Because of this lack of oversight, religious hospitals can swallow up secular institutions and impose religiously motivated restrictions without warning.

    File Under: Troubling. Congress To Hold Hearing on Unconstitutional Bill

    Congress intends to hold a hearing on the federal First Amendment Defense Act, which sanctions discrimination against same-sex couples, unmarried couples, married couples in which one person had been married before, single mothers, and individuals who have had sex outside of marriage. 

    Discrimination Defeated!: A Miss. Law That Used ‘Religious Freedom’ To Undermine Rights Is Struck Down

    A Mississippi law that purported to defend “religious freedom” by allowing state officials and others to discriminate against LGBT residents was scheduled to go into effect today. That won’t be happening, thanks to a federal court ruling.

    District Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Barring Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Law

    A district judge granted a preliminary injunction that bars the state from enforcing Mississippi’s HB 1523, which was set to go into effect July 1.

    Lawsuit Challenges Religiously Based Restrictions on Unaccompanied Children’s Access to Healthcare

    A lawsuit filed last week challenges the U.S.Government’s decision to sanction religiously based restrictions on vital healthcare provided to unaccompanied immigrant children and teens.

    Supreme Court Will Not Hear Case About Contraception And Religious Exemptions

    Today the Supreme Court rejected an appeal of pharmacists who claimed dispensing emergency contraceptives, including Plan B, under Washington state’s regulations requiring pharmacies to provide lawfully prescribed drugs, would violate their religious beliefs.