FFRF Action Fund recognizes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as its “Secularist of the Week” for appointing a strong proponent of state-church separation to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The commission aims to “advance international freedom of religion or belief, by independently assessing and unflinchingly confronting threats to this fundamental right.” The independent, bipartisan group has gained a champion on the preservation of state-church separation thanks to our latest “Secularist” honoree, longtime Sen. Schumer, who has held his New York seat since 1999. Rachel Laser, who heads Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a nonprofit that advocates for the dissociation of religion from government, has been nominated by Schumer to join USCIRF.
Laser, a lawyer and advocate, has considerable experience in fighting for the wall between state and church in her work with Americans United and as deputy director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. She will be a welcome addition to the committee, which is comprised of nine members from both major political parties who serve two-year terms.
The president chooses the commissioners, as well as the congressional leaders of the president’s party and the opposition party’s leaders. In 2024, FFRF Action Fund’s parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, noted that USCIRF was dominated by Christian commissioners, with only one non-Christian serving on the then-six-member commission. USCIRF now has a more diverse composition, with three Christian, two Muslim and two Jewish commissioners, one being Orthodox.
USCIRF primarily considers international religious freedom concerns, makes policy recommendations to U.S. lawmakers and advises the State Department on addressing religious persecution around the world.
In a press release, Laser thanked Schumer: “I’m grateful to Sen. Schumer for this opportunity to advocate for religious freedom around the globe.” She continued, “Both on a personal level as a religious minority, and a professional level as Americans United’s CEO, I am honored to have the opportunity to help our government fight religious extremism and protect everyone’s freedom to believe, or not, as they choose.”
FFRF Action Fund celebrates Schumer’s nomination of Laser, which will undoubtedly benefit a commission tasked with the vital protection of religious freedom across the world, including, of course, freedom from religion. We look forward to Laser’s work with USCIRF.
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.