Religious Liberty Commission
US presidential advisory body for religious liberty issues
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Religious Liberty Commission is a federal advisory body tasked with creating a comprehensive report on "the foundations of religious liberty in America, the impact of religious liberty on American society, current threats to domestic religious liberty, strategies to preserve and enhance religious liberty protections for future generations, and programs to increase awareness of and celebrate America's peaceful religious pluralism."[1] The commission is also tasked with advising the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council on the religious liberty policies of the United States.[2]
- Dan Patrick, Chairman
- Mary Margaret Bush, Director
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 1, 2025 |
| Jurisdiction | Federal Government of the United States |
| Agency executives |
|
| Key document | |
| Website | Official website |
The commission is composed of up to 14 commissioners[a] appointed by the President of the United States, as well as several advisory boards and ex-officio members; it is chaired by Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick.[3]
The commission is set to expire on July 4, 2026, during the United States Semiquincentennial, though the president can extend it.[1][4] It was formed on May 1, 2025 by President Donald Trump through executive order.[5]
Structure
The Religious Liberty Commission was established by Executive Order 14291 on May 1, 2025.[2] The commission has up to 14 commissioners,[a] including a Chair and Vice Chair, who will serve an initial 1-year term that expires on July 4, 2026 during the United States Semiquincentennial when the commission will dissolve. After that, the members may serve 2-year terms at the president's discretion if the president chooses to extend the commission's existence.[1]
The Attorney General, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy also serve on the commission as ex-officio members.[1]
The commission also has the following advisory boards: the Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, the Advisory Board of Lay Leaders, and the Advisory Board of Legal Experts.[5]
The commission Chairman is Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick and the Vice Chairman is Ben Carson.[6]
Controversies
In February 2026, President Donald Trump was sued by a group of multifaith organizations (including the Interfaith Alliance, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Hindus for Human Rights) who alleged that his appointments to the commission were not in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The group claimed that the commission is not "fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented" as it says FACA requires, because the commissioners were 12 Christians and one Jew; there is no representation for other American religious communities such as Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs.[4][7] The administration responded that Trump had "promised to protect religious freedom for all people of faith and created the Religious Liberty Commission to address current threats to domestic religious liberty."[4]
In February 2026, Carrie Prejean was removed from the commission by Chairman Dan Patrick who said that she had "hijack[ed] a hearing on antisemitism for [her] own personal and political agenda."[8] The removal came after some of Prejean's comments while questioning witnesses about the differences between antizionism and antisemitism during a commission hearing on antisemitism earlier that week had sparked controversy. Prejean asked: "Catholics do not embrace Zionism, just so you know. So are all Catholics antisemites?" and asked the witnesses, who were testifying about their experiences with antisemitism on college campuses after the October 7th attacks, "are you willing to condemn what Israel has done in Gaza?"[9]
See also
Notes
- While the executive order authorizes up to 14 commissioners, only 12 are currently appointed.