FFRF Action Fund is pleased to endorse U.S. Rep. Sean Casten in his reelection bid to Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, which he has represented since 2017.
Prior to joining Congress, Casten was a scientist and clean energy entrepreneur, and he now serves as one of its experts on climate change and clean energy. Casten has dedicated his life to fighting climate change, and a major part of his legislative work is now rooted in climate action and lowering energy costs. Casten serves on the House Joint Economic Committee and is vice chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.
Casten is a member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus and recently attended and spoke at the third annual Congressional Reason Reception on Capitol Hill.
“When I first came into Congress eight years ago, someone told me that religion is what politicians talk about when they don’t want to talk about ethics,” Casten said at the reception. “And there is a deep truth there. I think the inverse of that is equally true, that if you talk about ethics, people think you’re talking about their religion. And I think there’s a power there. There’s an ability there. What I think you challenge us to do, and what we have to challenge ourselves to do, is to speak about ethics and morality in a way that doesn’t fall back on those religious texts.”
Recently, with the Freethought Caucus, Casten co-sponsored fellow Reps. Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin’s resolution reaffirming our nation’s history of state/church separation ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. Casten is also fighting to ensure that secular public education is accessible for every child in the United States and to protect the U.S. Department of Education, alongside safeguarding crucial LGBTQ+ and women’s reproductive rights.
Casten faces GOP businesswoman Niki Conforti in the November election. Among promises to “push back on the progressive left,” Conforti disclosed on her campaign website: “Sean Casten’s support for taxpayer-funded and late-term abortions is despicable and is directly in opposition with the values of his constituents. In Congress, I will proudly stand for life.”
Casten is a proud member of the Congressional Equality Caucus.