Alexandria, VA — CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp released the following statement on the “Respect for Marriage Act” and in support of the Free Exercise Clause embedded in the First Amendment of our Nation’s Constitution.

“The so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” does not simply codify the judicial activism of Obergefell v. Hodges. Rather, it is a trojan horse that will be used to decimate religious liberty. This legislation would force people of faith and religious-affiliated institutions to violate their sincerely-held beliefs. Those individuals who choose to adhere to tenets of their faith and moral convictions would face costly litigation. And for religious-affiliated institutions, the legislation would empower President Biden’s politicized IRS to threaten their tax-exempt status. These are not theoretical issues. Woke warriors across the country have used the administrative state and the courts to force churches, cake bakers, florists and others to participate in ceremonies that are antithetical to their religious beliefs. This must stop.

“This legislation will cause religious schools and faith-based nonprofits to make an impossible decision, violate their moral convictions, or close. CPAC strongly supports the Free Exercise Clause embedded in the First Amendment of our Nation’s Constitution. In a highly polarized country if we simply seek common ground on highly controversial cultural issues, we have to start with reaffirming constitution principals, the most basic of which is respect for religious freedoms. One of the many traumas America is going through is the modern misinterpretation of our history and the growing radicalization of the Democratic party. A party that used to be a home for religious immigrants and members of minority religions. Today’s Senate proceeding demonstrates how hostile the modern socialist Democrat party has become to those who wish to live their lives according to their strongly held religious views. This hostility will continue to push immigrants, people of color and faithful Americans away from the democratic party.”

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