Members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus have written to the House Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs to express support of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (No BAN) Act. The No BAN Act repeals the President’s existing executive order blocking travel from majority-Muslim countries and prevents against a future potential discriminatory travel ban.
Read the letter below or download a PDF version.
Congress of the United States
October 21, 2019
The Honorable Jerrold Nadler
Chair
US House Committee on the Judiciary
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Doug Collins
Ranking Member
US House Committee on the Judiciary
2142 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Eliot Engel
Chair
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Michael McCaul
Ranking Member
US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairpersons Nadler and Engel; Ranking Members Collins and McCaul,
We write to express our strong support for HR 2214- the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (No BAN) Act. The No BAN Act repeals the President’s existing executive order blocking travel from majority-Muslim countries and prevents against a future potential discriminatory travel ban. The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, including a lack of religion, and restores the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future such bans.
We, the members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, have banded together based on our mutual belief that we must protect the secular character of our government and encourage strict adherence to the principle of separation of church and state. Like many Americans, we cherish the principles of religious freedom on which this country was founded.
Therefore, the Congressional Freethought Caucus strongly opposes the President’s decision to wholly ban individuals from majority Muslim countries from entering the United States. We see the so called “travel ban” as an egregious overstep of the President’s executive power, and an overstep that undermines the core principle of the secular nature of the government. Never in the history of the United States have our immigration policies and procedures been used to deny opportunity to religious groups and to favor a particular religion. From all over the world refugees of many religious beliefs and of none look to the United States to escape persecution. We have been a beacon of religious liberty and a safe harbor.
The Administration’s Muslim Ban established a dangerous precedent by imposing a religious test on those seeking safety on America’s shores. It favors those of one religion and discriminates against those of another religion. Thus, the No BAN Act is important to the members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus because it enshrines rather than erodes those very values on which our nation was founded. The bill upholds America’s longstanding role as a beacon of religious liberty across the world and reaffirms this ideal and the promise of American freedom. As members who are ardent believers in the true American ideal of freedom of religion, we strongly support the No BAN Act.
We encourage your committees and subcommittees to give this critical piece of legislation all due attention and advance it within your committees and subcommittees at the earliest date possible.
Sincerely,
Jared Huffman
Member of Congress
Jamie Raskin
Member of Congress
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Member of Congress
Susan Wild
Member of Congress
Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.
Member of Congress
Mark Pocan
Member of Congress