"I am signing an executive order to defend the freedom of religion and speech in America - the freedoms that we wanted, the freedoms that you fought so hard for".
The executive order was important for Trump as it would help allay his conservative supporters who were disillusioned after he avoided strong actions against issues like abortion during his time in office.
"We are proudly reaffirming this country's role as a nation of religious freedom".
The executive order directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to use its discretion when enforcing the Johnson Amendment, a rule that was passed by Congress in 1954 to prohibit houses of worship and nonprofit organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. It sends the message that the IRS won't be held accountable by this administration for continuing to turn a blind eye to even blatant examples of politicking by churches and other religious organizations.
That is the loosely enforced amendment that has prevented religious leaders from talking politics since the 1950's.
Since he can not repeal the law without congressional legislation, Mr Trump is directing the IRS to "exercise maximum enforcement discretion to alleviate the burden of the Johnson Amendment".
French prosecutors investigate hacking of Macron campaign
The question of whether Macron will be able to respond to the needs of the far-right is the second challenge of his presidency. Nigel Farage, who spearheaded a campaign for Britain's exit from the European Union as former leader of the U.K.
It would also provide "regulatory relief" for organizations that object for religious reasons to a provision of Obamacare that requires employers to provide health services that include coverage for contraception.
While the final draft did not specifically address gay marriage or issues affecting the LGBTQ community, the content of Trump's original draft combined with the extension of protection towards employers withholding reproductive health care for employees, proves this order is still a potentially unsafe move towards legalizing discrimination against women and the LGBTQ community. And we will never, ever stand for religious discrimination.
"President Trump's prior assertion that he wished to "totally destroy" the Johnson Amendment with this order has proven to be a textbook case of 'fake news, '" he added. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE, THEN YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE DECISIONS OF THE PEOPLE " The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa said today - "President Trump's executive order is unsafe andill advised for the government'sinterest and for houses ofworship".
President Trump signed a much-anticipated executive order on May 4, 2017, meant to promote free speech and religious liberty. That language was not included in Thursday's executive order.
Today's executive order undermines the First Amendment principles and protections that allow religious life to flourish in the United States.
Although Trump's order doesn't go as far as some feared, it still is troubling.
Comments