Democrats and Republicans may not agree on much, but they agree on this: American needs to do more to stop the persecution of believers around the world. It’s a bipartisan cause — and this week, it got a bipartisan boost, as members on both sides of the aisle came together to pass a piece of legislation that is especially meaningful this time of year: the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act.

While our families make their way to candlelight services or Christmas morning worship, people all around the globe will be gathering in underground churches to celebrate the birth of Jesus — praying they won’t be arrested, or worse. Under the Obama administration, it’s been difficult — if not downright impossible — for the crisis to get any attention. Unfortunately, for the suffering faithful around the world, the only human rights issues that seem to be taken seriously by the foreign policy of this administration are preceded by the letters “LGBT.” Meanwhile, millions of Christians and Jews are very literally in the crosshairs of everyone from ISIS to entire totalitarian governments, like China’s.

The bill passed Tuesday by the Senate would help restore America from its bruised reputation under Obama to the leading voice against the persecution of religious people abroad. For starters, the bill would beef up the tools at the State Department’s disposal for fighting this wave of oppression in nations abroad. Among other things, it would keep a running registry of people who are being held or imprisoned for their faith — as well as a watch list of the biggest religious liberty violators. In a major shift from the Obama years, Foreign Service officers would all be trained on the issue, and there would also be a greater emphasis placed on interagency coordination to make religious freedom a priority in all of America’s interests. Last — but certainly not least — the bill raises the profile of the ambassador-at-large for religious liberty by having the ambassador report directly to the secretary of state.

For House leader Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who has championed the issue since Congressman Frank Wolf retired, the victory in the Senate was an overdue tribute to the bill’s namesake. “It is largely because of [Wolf’s] efforts that religious freedom is taken seriously as a foreign policy issue. I had the distinct honor and pleasure of working with him for over 30 years. This bill is a fitting tribute to his work and service to our great nation.” Like us, he understands that religious liberty is about a lot more than faith. “A robust religious freedom diplomacy is necessary to advance U.S. interests in stability, security, and economic development,” Rep. Smith pointed out.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who sponsored the Senate measure, reminded everyone that “America was founded in part by people fleeing religious persecution, and the U.S. has a moral responsibility to be a champion for oppressed people around the world. When it comes to universal human rights that must be respected, few are more fundamental to the human spirit than the freedom to live out your faith according to your conscience, without fear of persecution, violence, or imprisonment. But this right is under assault in every corner of the globe, and we must do more to defend it and counter the vicious attacks on religious minorities.” Thanks to Congress, this is a giant step toward exactly that.

Originally published here.

What Does the State Department Have to Do with Social Issues?

What does the State Department have to do with abortion and sexual behavior-based policies? Unfortunately, a whole lot. Over the last eight years, the State Department under Hillary Clinton and John Kerry has elevated the promotion of the Left’s view of human sexuality and abortion “rights” to the detriment of fundamental human rights like religious freedom.

Clinton made her intentions known early in her tenure that the administration would not only promote special rights based upon sexual behavior within the State Department but would use the State Department to export the LGBTQ agenda globally. These behavior-based rights have consistently been a major emphasis of the Obama administration’s foreign policy.

The Obama administration has not only sent openly gay ambassadors into countries that are culturally opposed to homosexuality, they’ve used foreign aid to force nations opposed to homosexuality to change their laws to provide special protections for such behavior. And even flown the rainbow flag at U.S. embassies around the world! Equally, the Obama State Department under Hillary Clinton also promoted abortion, declaring reproductive healthcare a basic human right.

Foreign officials have complained about the strong-arming by the State Department to forcing them to accept its liberal view on social issues. I’ve personally heard the concerns from foreign ambassadors and frequently hear from members of Congress who have received complaints from foreign officials over how the administration has linked foreign aid to the adoption of the State Department’s LGBTQ and pro-abortion agendas.

To carry out this extreme agenda, the Obama administration has systematically filled the ranks of State with LGBTQ and abortion activists. Unless the next secretary of state is willing to resist and remove this embedded agenda, the promotion and protection of true human rights, like religious liberty, will continue to languish.

It’s for this reason that I have raised concerns about the nomination of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state. I certainly don’t see Tillerson cut from the same cloth as Clinton or Kerry, but he doesn’t have to be for these anti-life, liberal social policies to continue. He must have the courage to stop the promotion of this anti-family, anti-life agenda, which is very much a question mark given that he capitulated to activists pushing to liberalize the Boy Scouts’ policy on homosexuality when he was at the helm of the organization.

The incoming administration needs to make clear that these liberal policies will be reversed and the “activists” within the State Department promoting them will be ferreted out and will be replaced by conservatives who will ensure the State Department focuses on true international human rights like religious liberty, which is under unprecedented assault.

Originally published here.

The Law of the Landry

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) just won’t take no for an answer. Two times his decisions have been rebuked by state courts, but he insists on fighting on. The latest rejection came Wednesday, courtesy of 19th Judicial District Court Judge Todd Hernandez, who agreed with Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) that the governor exceeded his authority in demanding that organizations surrender their beliefs as a condition of winning a government contract.

In an executive order eerily similar to Barack Obama’s, Governor Edwards decreed that any company or organization that wants to contract with the state government has to first adopt special privileges for people who identify as LGBT — including the unsafe (and unpopular!) policies on gender-free bathrooms and showers. Not so fast, said Attorney General Landry, who argued that the decision was not only unconstitutional but unethical. To put the brakes on the lawless order, Landry stopped approving and enforcing the contracts. This week, Judge Hernandez backed him up in that decision, ruling that the governor’s policy “creates new and/or expands upon existing Louisiana law, as opposed to directing the faithful execution of the existing laws of this state.”

Still, Governor Edwards seems intent on wasting time and money by dragging the issue out in court, filing yet another appeal in what is now a two-lawsuit battle. Landry, on the other hand, is confident that most courts will see the issue as he does. “My challenge has always been about upholding the checks and balances on executive authority as established in our state Constitution.” Men and women with conservative views shouldn’t be disqualified from government work because they hold natural views on marriage and sexuality. And if the Left disagrees, it should raise the issue legislatively — not abuse its power to force its personal agenda on the state.

Unfortunately for Governor Edwards, this idea already failed “by large bipartisan majorities in the legislature.” That’s when “he took it upon himself to replace the people’s will with his own,” Landry argued. At least for now, the policy has failed in the courts too. At some point, let’s hope the governor gets the message that squeezing Christians and conservatives out of the government is un-American. Individuals, employers, and businesses have the same conscience rights as everyone else, regardless of who they’re partnering with. Thank goodness Jeff Landry understands that!

Originally published here.

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.