Religious Freedom Commission: Proposed Changes Divide Lawmakers and Bureaucrats

In 1998, Congress created the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to fight religious-freedom violations around the globe and to make relevant policy recommendations to the State Department, Congress, and the White House. In September of this year, the Senate put forward a bill that would change the mission of the USCIRF to include opposition to the “abuse of religion to justify human rights violations,” and would adjust the roles of USCIRF’s nine commissioners. Introduced by senators Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), Cory Gardner (R., Colo.), Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), Richard Durbin (D., Ill.), and Chris Coons (D., Del.), the proposed legislation has sparked a fight in Washington.

USCIRF was designed to be bipartisan. It consists of nine commissioners, four of whom are appointed by members of the party that does not control the White House. The strong emphasis placed on the voices of the opposition party was meant to create a body that would function above the national political divide. This has largely succeeded.

About the Author

John Hirschauer

John Hirschauer is a former William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review Institute.

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In 1998, Congress created the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to fight religious-freedom violations around the globe and to make relevant policy recommendations to the State Department, Congress, and the White House. In September of this year, the Senate put forward a bill that would change the mission of the USCIRF to include opposition to the “abuse of religion to justify human rights violations,” and would adjust the roles of USCIRF’s nine commissioners. Introduced by senators Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), Cory Gardner (R., Colo.), Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), Richard Durbin (D., Ill.), and Chris Coons (D., Del.), the proposed legislation has sparked a fight in Washington.

USCIRF was designed to be bipartisan. It consists of nine commissioners, four of whom are appointed by members of the party that does not control the White House. The strong emphasis placed on the voices of the opposition party was meant to create a body that would function above the national political divide. This has largely succeeded.