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FAITH IN ACTION

Faith & Freedom Praises Trump Administration For Working To Ensure Conscience Protections For Religious Organizations Contracting With Federal Government

Washington, DC – The pro-religious freedom Faith & Freedom Coalition praised the Trump administration today for proposing a new rule at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to afford religious freedom protections for religious organizations contracting with the federal government.

“The over 2 million members and supporters of Faith & Freedom are thankful that the Trump administration is proposing this new rule at the Department of Labor to ensure that organizations and businesses with deeply held religious beliefs and who contract with the federal government are afforded legal protections for their religious beliefs,” said Executive Director Tim Head.

The proposed rule would apply to all federal contractors who do over $10,000 in government business and clarify the scope and application of the religious exemption contained in section 204(c) of Executive Order 11246 signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. The public comment period has started, and the public has until September 16th to submit comments to the proposed regulation.

The current regulation does not afford religious organizations contracting with the federal government the same protections enjoyed by their non-religious counterparts. The new rule would clarify the religious freedom exemption to allow faith-based contractors to understand their contract requirements better.

“The Obama administration weaponized CFCCP regulations governing the employment practices of federal contractors to instill fear in people of faith who contracted with the federal government, fear that the government could fine them and potentially put them out of business for making employment decisions consistent with their religious beliefs,” added Head.

The proposed rule comes on the heels of President Trump’s 2017 Executive Order to protect religious freedom and his formation of a White House office to organize the federal government to work alongside faith-based organizations, and recent Supreme Court decisions in favor of religious freedom protections, including the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby cases.

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