Ranking Member Scott Praises Biden Admin Efforts to Combat Taxpayer-Funded Religious Discrimination, Protect Civil Rights
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden administration released proposed rules for nine federal agencies—including the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Education (ED), Labor (DOL), and Agriculture (USDA)—that would restore key civil rights protections for beneficiaries and students in federally funded social service programs.
“No one should be forced to pass a religious test to access federally funded social service benefits—such as food, shelter, and job training—or work in federally funded programs. Regrettably, the Trump administration allowed faith-based service providers to require beneficiaries to participate in religious activities as a precondition to receive services. The Trump administration’s efforts to advance so-called religious liberty contributed to a troubling shift from using federal resources to support victims of discrimination to using federal resources to protect those who seek to discriminate.
“Thankfully, the Biden administration has taken an important step to protect individuals from discrimination when they seek assistance in federally funded social service programs. By reversing the Trump administration’s harmful rules, individuals from all religious backgrounds will be able to receive the federal support they need without fear of religious discrimination or coercion. I look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration to ensure that no one faces a religious test to access services or work in taxpayer-funded programs. I also look forward to reintroducing the Do No Harm Act, which would restore the original purpose of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to protect religious exercise while ensuring that RFRA is not used to erode civil rights under the guise of religious freedom.”
The Biden administration’s proposed rules would rescind a sweeping set of rules, promulgated by the Trump administration in 2020, that allowed beneficiaries of federally funded programs to be subjected to religious discrimination and coercion. In August 2022, Scott praised the Biden administration for announcing its plan to engage in rulemaking to replace the 2020 Trump-era rules. In the 117th Congress, Scott co-introduced the Do No Harm Act to address the increasing use of religious freedom laws to undermine civil rights protections.
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