Sen. Ted Cruz is no stranger to protecting religious liberty, though he’s been on a streak recently, hitting the Department of Defense for religious discrimination and introducing broad legislation protecting religious freedom.
On Monday, the Texas Republican sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper admonishing the department for apparent religious discrimination. The occasion was the department’s decision to remove retired Lt. Col. Jay Lorenzen as a presenter for the Marine Corps’s annual training, ostensibly because he is religious. There have been numerous cases similar to this in recent years.
Between 2013 and 2017, First Liberty, a legal organization that specializes in First Amendment law, documented 70 instances of service members battling to preserve their religious liberties. For example, in 2016, decorated Air Force veteran Oscar Rodriguez delivered a flag-folding speech honoring Master Sgt. Chuck Roberson’s career in the Air Force, giving thanks to God in his comments. Two uniformed airmen forcibly removed Rodriguez from the ceremony and kicked him off Travis Air Force Base. It’s unfortunate to see members of our military, who have volunteered to sacrifice their lives on this country’s behalf, see their religious liberties threatened.
Jeremy Dys, who is special counsel for litigation and communications at First Liberty, wrote to me in an email, “Senator Cruz is a tireless defender of religious liberty and dedicated to a strong military. He is right to ask Secretary Esper why the U.S.”
He continued, “Marine Corps is canceling speakers because of their religious beliefs rather than preparing warriors for battle. No one should be canceled because of their religious beliefs.”
Cruz’s letter comes on the heels of a piece of legislation he spearheaded last week. If passed, the Safeguarding Americans from Coronavirus and Religious Exercise Discrimination Act will block federal funding for COVID-19 relief to state and local governments that discriminate against people of faith.
In a statement, Cruz said of the legislation, “Throughout this pandemic we’ve seen numerous examples of state and local governments instituting discriminatory regulations that unfairly target people of faith and which restrict houses of worship from operating while exempting secular gatherings and operations from the same rules. As Congress continues to provide relief funds to combat the impact of COVID-19, it is crucial that we protect the First Amendment right of religious liberty from discrimination.”
The statement continues, “By blocking funds from governments that discriminate against religious organizations, we can fairly protect religious liberty and the rights of those who seek to gather together safely for worship.”
Generally speaking, I am loath to endorse legislation that is punitive, especially legislation such as this, which deals with freedoms that the Constitution already guarantees. However, the coronavirus pandemic has awoken in many state and local authorities a desire to flex their authoritarian muscles. Whether it be New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s perpetual war on Jews or California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s allowance for businesses to open but not churches, many state and local officials have stamped out religious liberties in the name of public health. Perhaps a law such as the SACRED Act would nip such religious discrimination during COVID-19 in the bud.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
