Overview
- The Religious Liberty Commission delivered a 224‑page draft report to the Department of Justice on June 26 that calls for a major rethink of church‑state doctrine and federal practice on religion.
- The report urges the DOJ to portray religious liberty as a “bridge” to government and recommends administrative steps such as DOJ guidance, a religious‑liberty task force, a hotline, and IRS and funding changes.
- Several proposals would need Congress to act, including repeal of the Johnson Amendment that limits political activity by tax‑exempt houses of worship, while others could be put in place by executive branch agencies.
- Critics say the commission’s 12‑member, mostly Christian makeup produced a report that foregrounds perceived anti‑Christian harms, overlooks Islamophobia and other faiths, and risks privileging religious viewpoints over civil‑rights protections.
- A pending lawsuit by interfaith and minority faith groups challenges the panel’s composition and the brief public comment period that closes July 12, after which the commission will hold a virtual meeting to finalize recommendations.