President Trump is commemorating National Religious Freedom Day by reinforcing religious liberty and encouraging school prayer in the form of new federal guidance.
The guidance, which is being updated for the first time in more than 15 years, would make it clear that state departments of education are required to provide a process for people to file complaints about being denied the ability to pray. State officials will also be reminded that lawsuits filed against the state regarding religious freedom must be reported at the federal level.
“We will not let anyone push God from the public square,” Trump said during a religious freedom event at the White House on Thursday.
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“We’re trying across the board to invite religious institutions and people of faith back into the public square and say, ‘Look, your views are just as valid as anybody else’s,’” Joe Grogan, White House director of the Domestic Policy Council, told NPR.
Grogan also posted on Twitter detailing other ways the Trump administration is planning to celebrate National Religious Freedom Day.
First, @realDonaldTrump is taking action to further safeguard students’ constitutionally-protected right to pray in school. #ReligiousFreedomDay
— Joe Grogan (@joegrogan45) January 16, 2020
Third, @realDonaldTrump is issuing an @OMBpress memo to implement the 2017 Supreme Court case, Trinity Lutheran. Fed agencies will ensure that grantmaking practices—including practices of state recipients of federal funding—comply with the 1st Amendment.
— Joe Grogan (@joegrogan45) January 16, 2020
On Wednesday, Trump made it clear via a proclamation that he supports religious freedom, both domestically and internationally.
“From its opening pages, the story of America has been rooted in the truth that all men and women are endowed with the right to follow their conscience, worship freely, and live in accordance with their convictions,” the president said.
