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FIRST ON FOX: More than 20 House Republicans are demanding the Health and Human Services (HHS) department restore Trump-era religious liberty enforcement measures it revoked last month.
A letter on the issue signed by 22 House Republicans comes amid a slew of decisions rolling back the former administration’s decisions within the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). In November, the Biden administration announced it would repeal OCR’s authority to investigate potential violations of the First Amendment and Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
“President Biden’s Office for Civil Rights is attacking religious liberty,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in a statement provided to Fox News.
Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., right; Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; and Dan Bishop, R-N.C., conduct a news conference outside the Capitol with members of the House Freedom Caucus July 29, 2021.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call)
“The right of each person to worship according to their conscience is one of our nation’s founding principles. Why is the Biden administration implementing policies that weaken religious liberty protections? … Secretary Becerra should be building on the steps taken by the Trump administration to ensure the department is fully complying with its constitutional and statutory obligations instead of weakening the department’s ability to protect religious liberties.”
BIDEN’S HHS REVOKES CERTAIN FAITH-BASED EXEMPTIONS, ROLLS BACK RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ENFORCEMENT
The Republicans’ letter states, in part: “The decision to withdraw OCR’s ability to ensure that HHS maintains compliance with RFRA is a direct affront to Americans’ religious liberty. It is clear that you have no interest in protecting or upholding the conscience rights of Americans. Your November 24 decision to rescind OCR’s authority to protect Americans’ conscience rights will only further hamstring OCR’s ability to carry out its mission and enforce federal…
Source : foxnews
