Written by Don Byrd
The Daily Signal is reporting that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on July 12 on H.R. 2802, the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA). If it moves forward, FADA promises to raise public controversy similar to what erupted around Mississippi’s new law, which goes into effect tomorrow and is the subject of multiple lawsuits.
FADA has a more limited scope than the Mississippi law in that it does not extend to beliefs regarding the meaning of “male” and “female.” But, like Mississippi’s law, it places a focus on protecting actions taken in accordance with certain religious beliefs about marriage.
Here is an excerpt from HR 2802:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.
The hearing does not yet appear on the committee’s calendar, nor has a witness list been made public. If and when a hearing happens, I will follow it here on the BJC blog. Stay tuned.
