Huffman, Raskin Introduce Resolution Reaffirming Church-State Separation Ahead of America's 250th Anniversary

Huffman, Raskin Introduce Resolution Reaffirming Church-State Separation Ahead of America's 250th Anniversary

Washington, D.C. - This week, Representative Huffman (CA-02) and Representative Raskin (MD-08) alongside other democratic colleagues are introducing a resolution in honor of America's 250^th anniversary. As the United States prepares to celebrate its Semiquincentennial, the resolution recognizes the nation's long tradition of protecting religious liberty through a secular government, celebrates America's growing religious diversity, and rejects efforts to use the power of government to impose any one religious belief on the American people.

This resolution comes at a pivotal moment for religious freedom in America. Last week, Trump's Religious Liberty Commission released a dangerous 224-page draft report proposing policies that would expand the role of religion in government and weaken safeguards that have protected religious freedom for generations. The commission is stacked with mostly right-wing Christian nationalists, and one conservative Jewish member, all of whom endorse claims that America was founded as a Chrisian nation.

"Last week Trump's so called Religious Liberty Commission released an absurd report launching a direct attack on one of America's greatest constitutional achievements: the separation of church and state," said Rep. Jared Huffman. "The Constitution doesn't belong to Christian nationalists, and it doesn't belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to all of us, and its promise of religious freedom protects every American, regardless of what they believe. No president, no matter how determined to erode our constitutional freedoms, can change what has always been at the heart of this country: a belief in liberty and freedom for all. That includes the freedom to worship as you choose, or not at all, without government interference or religious coercion. That's the America worth celebrating after 250 years, and it's the America we must continue to defend."

"Our Founders rebelled against centuries of state-controlled churches, religious warfare, Crusades, inquisitions, witchcraft trials, and other expressions of religious authoritarianism to create a secular Constitution," said Rep. Jamie Raskin. "As we mark America's 250th anniversary, our resolution is a necessary reminder to guard religious freedom, one of our nation's founding principles, from those seeking to destroy it by using the government to impose white Christian nationalism. Mr. President, read the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of our Constitution."

The resolution draws on the writings of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, and other Founders, as well as longstanding constitutional precedent, to underscore that religious freedom flourishes when government remains neutral in matters of faith. It also recognizes that the First Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses have safeguarded Americans of every religion, and those of no religion, for nearly 250 years.

A full copy of the resolution can be found here.

In addition to Huffman and Raskin, the resolution is cosponsored by Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Sean Casten (IL-06), Emily Randall (WA-06), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Robert Garcia (CA-42).

The resolution is endorsed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, American Humanist Association, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Secular Coalition, The Center for Inquiry, and Interfaith Alliance, and Baptist Joint Committee, Ex-Muslims of North America, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Jews for Secular Democracy, Society for Humanistic Judaism, Emgage, Vote Common Good, Sikh Coalition.

A full list of quotes from endorsed organizations can be found here.

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