FFRF Action Fund’s “Secularist of the Week” is U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan for grilling Project 2025 architect Russell Vought on his Christian nationalist views during a recent House hearing.
Pocan represents Wisconsin’s 2nd District, the home base for FFRF Action Fund and its parent organization, FFRF, in Madison, Wis. Last week, both Democrats and Republicans questioned Vought, the current director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, on the pending federal reconciliation bill and the role of the Department of Government Efficiency in the Trump administration. Pocan had some sharp queries.
“Project 2025, you are one of the authors, you’re on the advisory board, you worked for Heritage, you are basically January, February and March in a Project 2025 calendar, right?” said Pocan. “But you were asked this weekend about it, and you said no, the administration isn’t following Project 2025. … Just tell me coincidence or not: In Project 2025, abolishing the Department of Education. You guys are doing that. Is that a coincidence?”
Vought deflected this line of questioning while Pocan listed the parts of Project 2025 the Trump administration is working to enact: ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs; defunding NPR and PBS; restricting gender-affirming care; stripping federal employees of employment protections; banning transgender people from the military; and much more. Pocan emphasized: “Are those all just coincidences that they happen to be in Project 2025?”
Importantly, Pocan also interrogated Vought on whether he thinks of himself as a Christian nationalist with the belief that the United States should be modelled after conservative Christian values. “You identify yourself as a Christian nationalist, correct?” asked Pocan.
Vought said that he is an evangelical Christian, but repeatedly failed to give a “yes” or “no” answer to the Christian nationalist question. We commend Pocan for spotlighting the intent behind everything Vought is working to do. Public officials must point out the threat of Christian nationalism in official proceedings.
Pocan is a member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which works to protect the secular nature of our government and is diligently working to counter Project 2025’s theocratic attacks. The caucus has commendably grown to include 30 members of Congress in 2025. FFRF Action Fund looks forward to more members of Congress joining the “Secularist” fight to keep Christian nationalism out of the U.S. government.
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.