Friend,

As the Secular Coalition for America's new Director of Policy & Government Affairs, I want to take a moment to tell you a little bit about what we have been doing since I came onboard.

The past three months have been a whirlwind as I worked to get better acquainted with the Secular Coalition, our supporters, and our mission. And as you might imagine, onboarding just as the virus hit presented unique challenges—from kids schooling at home, to shortages in items that we would normally consider abundant. I’m sure each of you have faced similar challenges these past few months and can relate.

We’ve also seen a transformation in this country in the wake of a number of high-profile murders of Black people, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, at the hands of police. For the first time, majorities are waking up to the impact of systemic racism in our society and calling for an end to the many racist policies that undergird so many aspects of our communities, businesses, and government.

As an organization, SCA stands firmly in solidarity with those fighting for systemic change. BIPOC have been marginalized and disenfranchised in our society for far too long. We have protested in Washington D.C., and will continue to speak out, along with our member organizations and many others in the secular community, to build a better more equitable future for our country.

Regarding what’s been happening on Capitol Hill since my arrival here at SCA, the vast majority of the work congress has been doing has been related to COVID-19 relief. The legislative package known as the CARES Act was passed by Congress and signed into law in March, and as I am sure many of you are aware, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provision contained within the bill allows, for the first time in the history of the nation, for religious clergy to be paid directly from the taxpayers pocket. 

This direct, precedent setting attack on the Establishment Clause is of great concern, and it represents the precipice of a slippery slope that can only lead to even more dangerous outcomes. 

The concerns surrounding the bill continue, as the program has since been expanded and extended. Together with my colleagues in the coalition, we have and continue to lobby Congress to ensure that those loans made to religious institutions under the program are not eligible for loan forgiveness.

Beyond COVID-19 relief legislation, Congress has failed to accomplish much these past few months—for obvious reasons. However, that doesn't mean nothing has been happening in the nation’s capital. In fact, we’ve been extremely busy.

From private individuals proselytizing in the White House Rose Garden, to churches refusing stay at home orders, to the gassing of peaceful protestors so that the President could take a photo-op to please the religious right, SCA has been at the forefront of calling out violations of church and state separation by our government and will continue to elevate the concerns of the secular community whenever they happen.

Additionally, we have supported our member organizations on a number of critical issues over the past few months, ranging from requesting that no additional waivers for religious schools be added to either the IDEA or the Rehab Act, to requesting a suspension in rulemaking for the Revised Requirements Under Community Planning and Development Housing Programs to ensure nondiscrimination policies are followed.

Through our partnerships in the coalition, we have engaged Congress and the Trump Administration on other important issues such as the false detainment of Mubarak Bala in Nigeria, who at this time is still being held without charge; and the pertinent use of embryonic stem cell research in the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine, as a rebuke to a misleading statement released by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops.

The Secular Coalition has also voiced our dismay at the appointment of clearly partisan and religious right leaning judges, namely Justin Walker, to the nation’s highest court. SCA will always advocate for judicial appointments that are based on jurisprudence, and the respect for all people, regardless of belief.

SCA continues to lead and assist our strong coalition, and we look forward to continuing to work together with our partners, until our voices are no longer necessary to ensure the secular government we all were guaranteed in the Constitution.