WASHINGTON – Today the White House unveiled highly anticipated plans to reform the way that federal agencies interact with faith-based contractors and sub-contractors. These plans grow out of recommendations on how to best protect the religious freedom of government service beneficiaries presented to the White House by Interfaith Alliance and a number of other faith-based organizations and religious freedom advocates. Today’s announcement opens a sixty day comment period during which Interfaith Alliance will review the proposed changes and work to ensure that vigorous protection of religious freedom when the government contracts with religious organizations. Following this announcement, Rabbi Jack Moline issued this statement:

“During President Obama’s first campaign he vowed to ensure that federal funds were not used to proselytize or discriminate based on religious beliefs. Today’s announcement is significant progress toward making good on that promise. These reforms ensure that people receiving services from religious providers know about their rights; they provide important recourse for individuals preferring to be served by a secular organization. Most importantly they set clear guidelines requiring organizations to formally separate their explicitly religious activities from their federally funded work – surely the only way the government can give money to a religious entity and maintain the spirit of the First Amendment.

“I applaud The White House, under the tireless leadership of Melissa Rogers, for this important step forward. However, there is still much to do to make sure that federal funding of religious institutions respects the Constitution. We continue to be frustrated by the administration’s refusal to overturn the Office of Legal Counsel memo that allows religious organizations who contract with the government to opt out of important regulations and nondiscrimination policies. We look forward to continuing to work with the White House and people of faith from across the religious and political spectrum to ensure that the religious freedom of every individual is protected when they step in line for a government service.”

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.