Dear Friend,

Take a deep breath, you’ve earned it. We have seemingly made it through this historic election in which a record number of Americans participated, culminating in car horns honking, people cheering, and spontaneous celebrations in the streets of cities around the world. The secular community certainly had a significant impact on the election, and I know that the majority of our community were filled with immense joy last Saturday when media outlets called the race in Biden's favor.

Not to be a downer on such a momentous occasion, but the first thing we need to recognize from the results of this election is that our nation remains deeply divided. Not only did Biden receive a record number of votes for any Presidential candidate in our history, but Trump received the second most votes for any Presidential candidate in the history of our elections. Let that sink in. Compounding that fact are the loss of House seats held by Democrats, and the minimal gains made in the Senate by Democrats, which comes after projecting bigger gains, and record campaign spending. Regardless of the mixed results, the outlook for our movement is a little brighter today than it was a few weeks ago.

There are many positives we can take from the results of the election. We can expect that the new administration will NOT use tear gas on protestors for a photo-op at a church with a bible in hand, issue executive orders that would allow for discrimination based on religious practices, or form government funded committees that would deny the rights gained by marginalized groups. 

Instead, we can expect real cooperation, and a greater opportunity to have a seat at the table when policy is being determined. We can also expect the definition of religious freedom to be righted, and the practice of discrimination under the guise of religious liberty to be rejected.

In the past few years, we have seen the growth of the Congressional Freethought Caucus (CFC) which was established in April 2018 to foster science and reason-based solutions and to defend the secular character of government. I am delighted to report that all 13 members of the CFC won their bids for re-election. SCA  looks forward to continuing our work with each of them and their staff in the new Congress beginning in January.

While our efforts will continue to be fraught with obstacles due to the aforementioned loss of seats in the House, and lack of significant gains in the Senate, we can be encouraged by the steady progress we have been making in Congress.

It is our hope here at the Secular Coalition that along with the new administration, the 117th Congress will present even greater opportunities to advance our legislative agenda, continue to build and aid the Congressional Freethought Caucus, remove the Trump Administration’s harmful regulations and executive orders, and install judges and civil servants who will adhere to and actively promote and prioritize the separation of religion and government.

If you are excited about the new opportunities to advance our agenda, and believe in the work we are doing here in Washington, DC on behalf of the nation’s nontheist community, please click the “I want to help!” button below. Every dollar goes to strengthening the secular nature of our government enshrined in the Constitution.