Washington D.C., Aug 22, 2019 / 15:15 pm
Leaders at the U.S. bishops' conference have praised a U.S. Labor Department proposal to clarify protections for religious employers seeking federal contracts.
"Faith-based groups should have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field as they seek to partner with the federal government to provide critical social services," said the heads of three committees for the U.S. bishops.
Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty; Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, FL, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; and Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, signed an Aug. 21 statement about the proposed changes.
"These proposed rules protect religious liberty, a core constitutional right, by clarifying existing religious exemptions consistent with federal law and recent Supreme Court precedent. We are grateful to the Administration for taking this step, and we look forward to filing more detailed public comments with [the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs]," they said.