In a letter sent to every member of Congress, evangelical charities, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and Orthodox Jews say the bill “would be catastrophic” to their religious freedom and to their mission to serve the needy.
The bill, HR 5466, introduced in May by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., would reauthorize federal funding to treat substance abuse and mental illness.
The bill would outlaw any government funds or contracts with religious organizations that do not agree to “refrain from considering religion or any profession of faith” when making employment decisions.
“Stripping away the religious hiring rights of religious service providers violates the principle of religious freedom, and represents bad practice in the delivery of social services,” said Anthony Picarello Jr., general counsel of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
