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NRB Urges Congress To Keep International Religious Freedom Commission
November 22, 2011 at 11:27 AM (PT)
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NATIONAL RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS (NRB) Pres./CEO Dr. FRANK WRIGHT is urging the U.S. SENATE to authorize the continued work of the U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (USCIRF).
In letters to Senate Majority Leader HARRY REID (D-NV) and Senate Republican Leader MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY), Dr. WRIGHT said, “To allow USCIRF, which has been a voice for over a decade on behalf of those oppressed for their faith, to expire would be detrimental to American efforts in this area and it may send a very poor message to other nations about U.S. priorities.”
USCIRF is an independent federal government commission tasked with assessing violations of religious freedom internationally and making relevant policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress. The panel’s authority will expire unless renewed by CONGRESS. In SEPTEMBER, the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES passed legislation (H. R. 2867) to reauthorize USCIRF; however, action in the SENATE is still pending.
Dr. WRIGHT also emphasized, “NRB is an ardent advocate of religious freedom for all people domestically and abroad. Notably, at our annual convention earlier this year, the NRB Board of Directors re-affirmed its commitment to international religious liberty by approving a Resolution on the International Persecution of Christians, calling on the U.S. government to make its position bolder globally on behalf of this First Amendment freedom we so cherish.”