Legal Issue(s): NA
Case Description
Christian Legal Society recently submitted a letter with more than 50 prominent signatories to the leadership of the 119th Congress requesting they preserve the full protections enshrined in the landmark Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
If the first month of the new Trump administration is any indicator, the new congress is going to be very busy. History has shown that waivers to suspend RFRA’s protections sneak into new legislation.
By uniting a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations, CLS was able to put into writing a clear-eyed refresher on the importance of this bill and its impact over the last 30 years. The influential group of signatories also signals how broadly popular and important RFRA remains today.
RFRA was originally passed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Employment Division v. Smith decision which dramatically cut back long-standing constitutional protections for religious exercise. Congress moved swiftly to counter the decision’s impact with Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Since RFRA’s near unanimous passage in both houses of Congress 32 years ago, CLS has successfully worked to prevent either party from diluting or eliminating our religious freedoms through carve-outs that allow government intrusion and the burdening of all American’s religious rights.
Click here to read the full text of the letter and those who signed it.
