Sen. Cruz Releases Religious Liberty Recommendations

As Governor Deal considers whether he will sign or veto the Free Exercise Protection Act, presidential candidate Ted Cruz has released a list of 15 recommendations from his Religious Liberty Advisory Council regarding actions he should take if he were to win the presidency. In a statement, Se. Cruz said,

During this Holy Week, as Christians prepare to celebrate spiritual freedom in Christ, we remember also that religious liberty is the first American freedom. I thank this learned and committed group of leaders for their wise recommendations, and as president I will be proud to work with them to protect our religious liberty. Defending religious liberty has been a lifelong passion, and I’ve been blessed to help win national victories, preserving the Texas Ten Commandments monument, the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial.

The proposed actions include the passage of the First Amendment Defense Act, issuing an executive order declaring that the government can partner with faith based organizations, issuing an executive order exempting employers who disagree with the Obamacare contraception mandate, and more. You can see recommendations in bullet point below the fold, and see more detailed information here.

• Issue an executive order preventing the federal government from discriminating against Americans who believe that marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman.
• Reinstate thorough and protective conscience rights protections in federal healthcare programs.
• Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to exempt all employers who object for moral and religious reasons from any contraception mandate.
• Update and revise military regulations to reflect a robust constitutional understanding of the first amendment rights of military personnel, particularly chaplains.
• Pass the First Amendment Defense Act “to prevent discriminatory treatment of any person on the basis of views held with respect to marriage.”
• Direct the IRS to publicly clarify the generous rights of non-profits and religious leaders to engage in political speech without compromising their tax-exempt status.
• Rescind executive orders which limit the government from partnering with faith-based non-profit organizations.
• Order the Department of Education to issue guidelines which accurately address the rights of students, teachers, and other school personnel to live out their faith in a school setting.