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Dear Friend,
Thank you for subscribing to my religious freedom newsletter! The freedom of religion is a right I cherish. I will always fight to preserve that right for folks in South Carolina and across this nation. I want to partner with you on this effort. A survey will be included in each newsletter for you to share your thoughts. Your answers and ideas will be incorporated into future updates and legislation.
You can sign up for my weekly update and other issue-specific newsletters here.
Please remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for regular updates on how I am serving the people of South Carolina!
Aid for Our Houses of Worship During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Our houses of worship are pillars of our communities, and they should be treated the same as other non-profits. These organizations not only employ community members, but they provide emotional and faith-based support for families struggling with the effects of the pandemic. I made sure support for our churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship were included in the latest COVID-19 relief package. The Department of Treasury released guidance providing a framework for houses of worship and parochial schools to access Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Because of my team’s efforts, my provision included in the COVID-19 relief package writes that guidance into law. To read more about my PPP efforts, please sign up for my small business newsletter here.
I have also been fighting for houses of worship to still gather during the COVID-19 pandemic. I signed onto an amicus brief with 33 of my Senate colleagues supporting Capitol Hill Baptist Church’s lawsuit against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. As many of us witnessed, Mayor Bowser permitted and participated in several mass protests in the city, but she discriminated against religious gatherings of more than 100 individuals outdoors. On October 9th, the D.C. District Court issued a preliminary injunction in CHBC v. Bowser and prohibited the enforcement of the church’s restrictions. About a month ago, the United States Supreme Court echoed that decision by halting the COVID-19 restrictions issued by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo against New York religious groups.
Protecting Our Students’ Religious Rights
Over the last decade, dozens of religious student organizations have lost access to rights, benefits, and privileges because of their faith-based policies. Despite a clear mandate from the United States Supreme Court to allow diverse viewpoints in the campus setting, colleges and universities continue to stifle religious perspectives by prohibiting religious groups from selecting leaders based on whether they support the organization’s beliefs. If we are not instilling the importance of the First Amendment in our nation’s colleges and universities, we are doing our future an injustice. I am proud to stand up for the First Amendment. Freedom of speech is not just a nice saying—it’s a core American ideal.
This Congress, I introduced the Equal Campus Access Act alongside Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.). This legislation would ensure that religious student organizations can operate under their faith-based principles. The bill prohibits funding for public institutions of higher education if they deny rights, benefits, or privileges to student organizations because of their beliefs, practices, speech, leadership standards, or codes of conduct. I will continue to fight for religious freedom on college campuses in 2021. For more information about my work in higher education, be sure to sign up for my education newsletter here.
Thank you for reading my first religious freedom newsletter. I will be sure to keep you updated on new legislation, projects, and the feedback I get from you.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
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