ACLJ Takes Action To Defend Religious Liberty in Presidential Commission Report and Trump Administration Rulemaking

At the ACLJ, we have long understood that defending constitutional freedoms requires more than winning cases in court. It means showing up when public policy is being shaped and ensuring that the voices of people of faith, families, and constitutional conservatives are heard.

That is why we have submitted two significant comment letters to federal policymakers. One offers recommendations to the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission as it develops a road map for protecting the free exercise of religion in America from future abuses by the government. The other urges stronger protections for religious liberty and constitutional rights in federal grantmaking.

Comment letters let affected parties formally influence, challenge, or shape federal regulations before they take effect by submitting input during an agency’s public comment period. It’s our opportunity to speak into the policy process. These efforts reflect our mission to defend religious liberty, uphold the Constitution, and ensure that our government remains accountable to the people it serves.

Preventing Violations Before They Happen

For more than three decades, the ACLJ has represented students, parents, churches, healthcare professionals, military personnel, and religious organizations whose rights were violated because government officials misunderstood or ignored the First Amendment. Earlier this year, we told you about the ACLJ’s work with the Department of Justice on its religious liberty documentary, which exposed how the power of the federal government was used to target people of faith.

Now we have submitted comments to the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission for its final report, commending its efforts to strengthen protections for religious freedom and offering recommendations to help translate constitutional principles into practical action. The ACLJ urged the federal government to provide practical guidance, improve training, establish clearer reporting mechanisms, and develop educational resources that help prevent constitutional violations before they occur.

Our comments drew upon real cases from across the country. Christian student clubs denied equal access to school facilities. Teachers told they could not pray in public. Healthcare professionals pressured to violate their conscience rights. Religious organizations excluded from public programs because of their faith. These violations affect real people exercising fundamental constitutional freedoms.

The First Amendment is strongest when citizens understand their rights and government officials understand their responsibilities. Protecting religious liberty requires more than winning lawsuits after the damage has been done. The government must be committed to educating public officials about the Constitution and religious liberty, enforcing the law fairly, and ensuring that people of faith are not targeted for practicing their beliefs.

Protecting Religious Liberty and Life in Federal Grantmaking

Every year, the federal government distributes hundreds of billions of dollars through grants and cooperative agreements. Those funds belong to the American people, and they should be administered lawfully, transparently, and without ideological discrimination.

The ACLJ submitted comments supporting proposed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rules to strengthen accountability and oversight in federal grantmaking. We urged the Administration to ensure that federal funds are never used to discriminate against religious organizations, suppress constitutionally protected viewpoints, or fund abortion services.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear that faith-based organizations cannot be excluded from public programs simply because they are religious. Time and again, the Court has reaffirmed the important constitutional principle that the government cannot treat religious Americans as second-class citizens.

Faith-based organizations feed the hungry, care for the poor, provide disaster relief, operate schools, and serve communities in other important ways across this country every day. They should not be forced to abandon their beliefs in order to participate in federal programs that are otherwise available to everyone else.

We also urged federal officials to make clear that religious organizations, as well as healthcare providers and pro-life ministries, retain their constitutional and statutory protections when participating in federal programs. The government may not use grant conditions to pressure people of faith to compromise deeply held religious convictions, including pro-life views.

The ACLJ also urged the OMB to ensure that federal grantmaking policies fully protect the sanctity of life and the conscience rights of Americans who object to participating in abortion.

Federal law has long recognized that taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize abortion. We urged OMB to strengthen those protections and ensure that organizations cannot evade them through complicated networks of pass-through entities or affiliated organizations that perform or promote abortion.

Defending Freedom at Every Level

The Founders understood that liberty requires constant vigilance. Constitutional rights do not protect themselves.

Whether we are litigating at the Supreme Court, filing comments with federal agencies, advocating before Congress, or educating public officials, the mission remains the same. We are defending the freedoms that allow people of faith to live according to their convictions.

These comment letters may not receive the same attention as a Supreme Court victory, but they are where many battles for religious liberty begin. Administrative rules and government guidance shape how federal agencies treat people of faith every day. That is why the ACLJ remains engaged at every level of government.

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