Dear Friend,

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the United States, all of us have had to cancel plans, postpone events, and ask ourselves hard questions about how we can protect and stay connected with the people we care about most.

For lucky Americans—including our team at the Secular Coalition for America—whose industries haven’t seen mass layoffs over the past month, we’ve had to face these challenges and many others while transitioning to work from home.

The biggest hurdle, which we don't expect to change anytime soon, is that Congress has closed their doors to the public while responding to this global crisis.

In response, the SCA and our member organizations have changed how we lobby on your behalf, which has meant more phone calls, texts, and video conferences with decision-makers on The Hill.

And while there's no playbook for maintaining access to lawmakers during a pandemic, our team is excited to find innovative ways to keep your voices front and center for as long as this lasts.

Right now, Congress is laser-focused on mitigating the spread and impact of the coronavirus. We are continuously monitoring all COVID-19 legislation, including the $2 trillion package agreed on late last night.

Throughout that process, we have been working to make the case that science and evidence-based decision-making is more important now than ever before. Unfortunately, President Trump hasn't gotten the message.

Trump wants to “have the country opened up” by Easter, easing the safety restrictions that scientists, doctors, and other public heath experts on the front lines say are saving countless American lives.

The secular community's focus on science and evidence is more important now than ever before. We need to lead by example and hold Washington accountable for making smart decisions in the face of this crisis.

We cannot let elected officials ignore research-driven expertise when the stakes are this high. Science must play a central role in our government's COVID-19 policies.

Finally, I want to thank you for your continued support and well wishes. Our team is safe, healthy, and closely following guidance from health experts—we hope you are as well.

Despite the new and unique challenges we are facing right now, I know that through our resilience and your continued support, we will get through this together.

Sincerely,

Debbie Allen
Executive Director

P.S. I know news and public safety guidance is coming at us all nonstop. If you’re looking for clear, easy to understand information, the CDC’s factsheet page has a number of one-page FAQs and guides, including what you need to know about COVID-19 and what to do if you’re sick.