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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) yesterday voted against allowing the Respect for Marriage Act to move forward, citing his amendment to protect religious freedoms for faith-based organizations.
“We need to end the culture wars on both sides. If you wish to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, then also end the assault of endless lawsuits on those with traditional views be they small business owners or catholic adoption agencies,” said Dr. Cassidy. “My amendment makes necessary improvements to defend religious liberties in the public square.”
According to the senator’s press release, his amendment would strengthen protections for religious freedoms and faith-based organizations by:
- Preserving the tax-exempt status of religious non-profits
- Defending small business owners from being required to provide services that go against their firmly held religious beliefs
- Extending religious protections for public accommodations to online platforms
- Ensuring that child welfare agencies can continue to provide vital services without fear of adverse government action
According to the amendment, the purpose is to “To prohibit certain discrimination or segregation by online retailers or providers of online services and social media platform providers, to protect the rights of small businesses to act in accordance with sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the determination of tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of such Code shall be made without regard to religious beliefs, and to protect the rights of child welfare service providers to act in accordance with sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions.”
Click here to read the full text of the amendment.
