Julia Brownley (CA-26, Westlake Village).The 117th Congress has 17 declared members. Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jamie Raskin (MD-8)Īll current members caucus with the Democratic Party. Two additional members joined CFC in February 2022. īy September 2018, the caucus had added four more members and been active in opposing Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. Raskin called the caucus "historic", while Huffman stated it would "help spark an open dialogue about science and reason-based policy". Smock says it hearkens back to the Enlightenment ideas from the founding of the nation, and Weldon points out the political liability of being non-religious. įormer House of Representatives historian Ray Smock and historian of science and religion Stephen Weldon have noted what they see as the caucus's unique and historic nature. The American Humanist Association and the Center for Freethought Equality were involved in "helping establish the caucus" by consultation. Huffman has identified as a humanist without a God belief, but has indicated that the caucus is open to religious members who support the use of science and reason and defend a secular government. They see such influence as hampering effective and appropriate responses to issues ranging from climate change to gun violence. The caucus was established in reaction to the influence of religion, especially that of the Christian right, in public policymaking in ways that the caucus's founders deem inappropriate in a secular government. Representative Pramila Jayapal joined soon after. Representatives Jared Huffman, Jamie Raskin, Jerry McNerney, and Dan Kildee. The CFC was formed in 2018 by four members of the United States House of Representatives: U.S. Electoral results House of Representatives Election year This is lower than the number who would vote for an African American, Jewish, gay, or Muslim candidate. By proudly and unapologetically standing up for the nonreligious, these Members of Congress have struck a powerful blow against the de facto religious test that keeps so many secular Americans from seeking public office." Īccording to a 2019 Gallup poll, only 60% of Americans would vote an atheist for president. We are living in a time when one-quarter of Americans identify as nonreligious and yet, despite these demographic changes, our community is still disparaged, stigmatized, and underrepresented in elected offices at every level of government. The Secular Coalition for America released a statement applauding the founding members of the caucus: "The formation of a Congressional Freethought Caucus is a milestone moment for nonreligious Americans in our continued struggle for inclusion in the political process and recognition as a constituency. The Congressional Freethought Caucus was unveiled by Huffman during the Secular Coalition for America annual awards dinner in Washington, DC. ![]() Accessed 22 April 2022.See also: Discrimination against atheists "Jamie Raskin." Wikipedia, revision of 22 April 2022.program on law and government and co-founded the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. Prior to his election to Congress, he was a constitutional law professor at American University Washington College of Law, where he co-founded and directed the LL.M. He was also the lead impeachment manager for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump in response to the attack on the U.S. In Congress, Raskin is the chair of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Maryland State Senate from 2007 to 2016. The district is located in Montgomery County, an affluent suburban county northwest of Washington, D.C., and extends through rural Frederick County to the Pennsylvania border. representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district since 2017. Jamie Raskin is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S.
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