The movement to defend the separation between state and church and combat Christian nationalism continues to gain momentum.
The FFRF Action Fund proudly welcomes the three newest additions to the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which now has 24 members: Reps. Andrea Salinas (Oregon), Emily Randall (Washington) and Laura Friedman (California).
As threats to our secular democracy escalate, the Congressional Freethought Caucus continues to expand, bringing together lawmakers from diverse backgrounds and beliefs — both religious and nonreligious — who share a common commitment to reason, evidence-based policy and the separation between religion and government.
Rep. Salinas identifies as Catholic, Rep. Randall as agnostic and Rep. Friedman as Jewish. Their decision to join the caucus demonstrates the growing recognition that Christian nationalism is a direct threat to our secular democracy and must be met with strong, principled leadership.
“We are seeing a frightening rise in efforts to impose religious ideology on public policy — from attacks on reproductive rights to censorship in education and public health, as well as government-funded religious discrimination,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the FFRF Action Fund. “The Congressional Freethought Caucus is leading the charge against these attacks, and we are thrilled to see three more members of Congress stand up for reason, equality and our country’s secular foundations.”
The FFRF Action Fund extends its deep appreciation to Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin for their unwavering leadership in ensuring that freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and religious allies alike have a voice in Congress. Their dedication to defending secular governance is crucial at a time when religious extremists are working to undermine constitutional protections and our very democracy.
The FFRF Action Fund looks forward to working alongside these new champions of church-state separation in the ongoing fight for a government that represents all Americans.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.