Written by Don Byrd
[UPDATE 9/6: Also, see clips from day three of the confirmation hearing related to religious liberty.]
During questioning from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) on day two of his confirmation hearing, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh discussed his views on both the Free Exercise and Establishment Clause guarantees of the First Amendment. He noted that both clauses work “together for the concept of freedom of religion,” though he equated Establishment Clause concerns generally with “coercion” by government, which seems to leave the state with significant room to promote religion.
Kavanaugh also rightly emphasized that all are “equally American” regardless of our faith or the lack of faith, and he discussed his work assisting a synagogue with zoning barriers that amounted to religious discrimination.
You can watch the entire clip, which includes some interruptions from protestors, by clicking this link.
For more on Judge Kavanaugh’s record on religious freedom, see the review from the BJC’s Holly Hollman and read an open letter to Kavanaugh on the importance of the Establishment Clause by the BJC’s Jennifer Hawks.
