Q&A: Religious Freedom Must Not Be Taken for Granted

Q: What have you learned about the FBI’s bias towards American Catholics?
A: From my top spot on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m pushing to get answers from the FBI about its efforts during the Biden administration to tie certain Americans of Catholic faith to violent extremist views. New information I recentlyreleasedshowed the anti-CatholicRichmond memowas widely distributed to more than 1,000 FBI employees across the country during the Biden administration. What’s more, the newly released records showed the targeting of Catholics based on biased sources included more than just a single memo. Records reveal the FBI produced many written products containing anti-Catholic terminology that hinged on information from the radical far-left Southern Poverty Law Center. This contradicts formerFBI Director Christopher Wray’smisleading testimony to my questioning about these operations that have undermined the public trust in our institutions of government. I’mworking to get to the bottomof the Richmond memo, including the FBI’s efforts to skirt congressional oversight. The American people deserve answers to help restore confidence that federal law enforcement agencies administer justice without fear or favor. Targeting Americans based on their religious faith crosses a constitutional guardrail enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
Q: Is religious freedom in America at risk?
A:For more than two centuries, the First Amendment protects freedom of religion. Specifically, the Establishment Clause prevents the government from establishing a state religion; and the Free Exercise Clause protects the right to practice religion freely. Unfortunately, the recent murders outside theIsraeli embassyin Washington, D.C. and the attack on theJewish community in Boulderaren’t isolated incidents. They expose a grave and present danger for people of religious faith, particularly antisemitic extremism. Since the brutal attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism is on the rise in the United States and around the world. During his first month back in the White House, President Trump signedan executive order to combat antisemitism. The Department of Justice formed a task force in February andzeroed in on incidents taking place on college campuses. Iconvened a Senate Judiciary Committeehearing in March to strongly rebuke the stunning acts of antisemitism happening on campuses and elsewhere. During his first administration, President Trump madereligious freedom a top foreign policyto stand against religious intolerance, persecution and violence around the world. Closer to home, President Trump last month created theReligious Liberty Commissionto foster appreciation for our founding principles of religious freedom, identify emerging threats and protect the free exercise of religion. The president appointedadvisory board membersrepresenting  religious, legal and lay leaders to produce a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America and its impact on society leading up to the 250thanniversary of American independence on July 4, 2026. The commission also will discuss Supreme Court rulings on religious liberty and delve into the meaning of separation of church and state.
Written public comments may be submitted in advance of itsfirst meetingprior to June 15. Send comments toRLC@usdoj.gov, or by postal mail to U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Associate Attorney General, 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Room 5706, Washington, D.C. 20530.