Why The Kavanaugh Fight Is Worth It

Does it make sense for Americans United to invest, as we have, in trying to defeat the nomination of Kava­naugh to the Supreme Court when the chances of victory have seemed remote? AU President and CEO Rachel Laser's answer: An emphatic yes.

Last Chance To #StopKavanaugh: Tell Your Senators To Vote ‘No’

Last Chance To #StopKavanaugh: Tell Your Senators To Vote ‘No’

Despite compelling, credible testimony yesterday from Professor Christine Blasey Ford who spoke at length that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, the Senate Judiciary Committee today in a party-line vote agreed to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate for review.

Senators Must Question Kavanaugh On His Church-State Separation Record

Senate confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh start today—even though thousands of requested documents from Kavanaugh’s time working in the George W. Bush White House have not yet been released or reviewed by the Senate or the public.

Women Speak Out Against Kavanaugh’s Harmful Views On Reproductive Rights And Church-State Separation

One of the biggest concerns about President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is how he could shift the balance of power on the court on matters involving reproductive rights. Given his hostile record on church-state separation and of allowing religious freedom to be misused as justification for discrimination, it’s a valid concern—and many women are stepping forward to explain why they oppose Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

What’s At Stake With Brett Kavanaugh On The U.S. Supreme Court? Reproductive Rights.

If you care about healthcare access and reproductive rights, then you should be concerned about Brett Kavanaugh as President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. His record indicates he’s hostile toward church-state separation and could allow religious beliefs to justify discrimination.

Trump Administration Launches Task Force To Aid In Using Religion To Discriminate

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the formation of a “Religious Liberty Task Force” to enforce the Department of Justice (DOJ) guidance he issued last fall that would allow religion to be used to discriminate.

Justice Department’s ‘Religious Liberty Summit’ Offends The True Meaning Of Religious Freedom, Says Americans United

The U.S. Justice Department hosted a so-called “Religious Liberty Summit” today, an event Americans United for Separation of Church and State blasted as one-sided and inaccurate.

Brett Kavanaugh Is The Wrong Choice For The Supreme Court

President Donald Trump announced last night that Brett Kavanaugh is his nominee to be the next U.S. Supreme Court justice. The president has shown that he has little respect for the separation of church and state, so it is no surprise that he has chosen a nominee who rejects this fundamental value as well

A Theocratic ‘Powerhouse’ Is Gaining Influence In The Courts

Today’s Washington Post includes a profile of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), referring to the organization as a “powerhouse.” You may know the ADF as the group that takes on cases of businesses who want the legal right to use religion to discriminate.

AU And Allies Sue Trump Administration And Notre Dame Over Back-Door Negotiations That Deny Women Access To Contraception

Americans United filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging multiple actions by the Trump-Pence administration—including back-room deals with the University of Notre Dame—that would deny countless women access to contraception.

South Carolina Seeks A Right To Use Religion To Discriminate

Religious freedom is a fundamental value, but it does not permit government-funded providers to discriminate against the children and families they are supposed to serve.

Uncovering Project Blitz: Fighting A Secret, Coordinated Legislative Strategy To Undermine Religious Freedom In The States

Every legislative session, AU tracks hundreds of state bills that, if passed, would undermine religious freedom in nearly every state. We often see trends arise across states. Lawmakers in different states introduce similar bills, and sometimes even the same exact bills with the same exact language. And we can usually figure out why that happens: conservative lobbying groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and state Focus on the Family affiliates often shop model bills around to state legislators, who then introduce these model bills in their states. The lobbying groups also share strategies with legislators to help pass their bills. The result: Similar harmful bills appear and pass in many different states in a nationwide onslaught.

AU To Federal Court: Trump Administration’s New Contraception Rules Harm Religious Freedom And Women’s Health And Equality

Americans United filed a friend-of-the-court brief yesterday in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California v. Azar—a challenge to the Trump-Pence administration’s new rules that would allow employers and universities to use religion to deny their employees and students health insurance coverage for birth control.

The Do No Harm Act Protects Religious Freedom And Equal Protection Under Law

The Do No Harm Act Protects Religious Freedom And Equal Protection Under Law

Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) today introduced the Do No Harm Act in the U.S. Senate. The bill honors two core American values: religious freedom and equal protection of the law. And it couldn’t be more important right now.

Trump’s New ‘Religious Freedom’ Order Actually Undermines That Principle

In honor of the National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump, with his Evangelical Advisory Board by his side, held a ceremony in the Rose Garden and signed an “Executive Order on the Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.”  Under the guise of religious freedom, this executive order further entrenches the administration’s policies to allow religion to discriminate.

Notre Dame’s Latest Decision Denies Students Their Right To Contraception

The University of Notre Dame has announced that its insurance plans for students and faculty will cover some, but not all, forms of contraception. The school's announcement is both discouraging and confusing.

One Of More Than 200,000 Stories Explaining Why The Trump Administration Must Put Patients First

Today, Americans United joined allies to deliver more than 200,000 comments from people objecting to the Trump administration proposal to create a sweeping religious exemption for healthcare providers that would allow them to use religion to justify denying healthcare to patients.

Time Is Running Out: Tell Trump Administration A Patient’s Health Should Always Come First

If you think that healthcare providers should always put patients first and that providers’ religious beliefs should never dictate patient care, we need you to tell the Trump administration today.