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GOP Congressman to Reintroduce ‘First Amendment Defense Act’, the Vilest Religious Freedom Bill of Our Time
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho, above left) will reintroduce the First Amendment Defense Act, and House and Senate members are also planning to file legislation to protect people with religious objections to same-sex marriage.
Labrador filed FADA last year with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT, above left). It had 172 co-sponsors.
Donald Trump has pledged to sign the bill in his first 100 days.
Buzzfeed’s Dominic Holden first reported on the developments.
JUST IN: Rep Labrador will refile 1st Amendment Defense Act to protect religious people & biz opposed to same-sex marriage, his office says.
— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 27, 2017
I’ve confirmed House and Senate members plan to refile bills to protect people who have a religious objection to same-sex marriage.
— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 27, 2017
The Human Rights Campaign explained what’s in the First Amendment Defense Act last year:
The legislation would prohibit any adverse action by the federal government against an individual or organization for discriminatory actions against legally married same-sex couples as long as they claim they are acting in accordance with their religious beliefs. “Adverse action” is broadly defined to include the denial or revocation of a federal tax status or deduction; denial of a federal grant, contract, loan, benefit or employment; or any other act of discrimination. The bill provides individuals and organizations the right to sue the federal government for monetary damages in federal court.
If passed, this legislation would create a breakdown of government services and runaway litigation. It would permit a federal employee, for example, to refuse to process tax returns, visa applications or Social Security checks whenever a same-sex couple’s paperwork appears on his or her desk. This legislation would also permit recipients of federal grants and contracts, including those for social services programs like homeless shelters and substance abuse treatment programs, to turn away LGBT people. It allows any of these individuals or groups, or anyone else who believes they have been somehow required by the federal government to approve of married same-sex couples, to file a lawsuit and potentially receive damages from taxpayer money.
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