After four years of open hostility towards the American value of secularism from the highest offices in the Executive Branch, we are presented with an opportunity to advance our mission, and rebuild the wall of separation, making it stronger than ever before.
Despite the abundance of religious language and actions we witnessed during the inauguration, based on their political and legislative records, I am confident that President Biden and Vice President Harris will be more inclusive and equitable in their policy making.
Already, in one of President Biden’s first executive actions, in which he repealed Trump’s religiously discriminatory “Muslim Ban”, he paid homage to our nation’s “long history of welcoming people of all faiths and no faith at all.”
However, there is much that must be undertaken to reverse the extensive damage done by the previous administration. There are executive orders that need to be rescinded like EO 13798, which rolled back restrictions on religious institutions in regards to political speech and birth control, and EO 13831, which made it easier for faith-based organizations to access government funds.
There is legislation that needs to be passed and signed into law like the Do No Harm Act, which would amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and end discriminatory practices that have been supported by its misinterpretation; the Scientific Integrity Act, which would prevent political appointees from meddling in publicly funded scientific research; and many others. There are numerous regulations that need to be reinstated or rescinded, and the list goes on (see our comprehensive Secular Agenda).
The Secular Coalition for America and our 20 member organizations are hard at work to make sure these actions and initiatives are undertaken. We have already begun our meetings with key congressional staff and the transition team to ensure we grab every opportunity we can to institute real change, and reverse the harm done over the past four years. Many of the Trump-era policies will need to be addressed internally within our federal agencies. As key officials and staff are placed into their respective agencies, SCA will be reaching out to those individuals to ensure that no stone is left unturned, that our agenda is acted upon, and the harmful policies of the previous administration are thoroughly addressed.
We are excited to work with the new administration, and hope that you will join us by clicking HERE. Every dollar you give goes to protecting and strengthening the wall that separates religion and government, and to ensure the secular nature of our great nation. Thank you!
Director of Policy & Government Affairs
Secular Coalition for America
