ADF commends final rules protecting religious freedom, free speech
“The American people lose when the government decides which beliefs should prevail. Instead, the federal government should treat religious Americans and organizations on an equal playing field with their secular neighbors. That’s why we commend the administration and its agencies for finalized rules that emphasize the federal government’s commitment to respect and protect the free exercise of religion and the freedom of speech all Americans have under the Constitution. Our public comments filed in February encouraged these agencies to apply the First Amendment in a manner consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017 decision in the ADF case Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer. The finalized rules reflect that commitment and help ensure that no one is excluded from a public benefit solely on the basis of religious identity, a kind of discrimination the Supreme Court said in that decision ‘is odious to our Constitution…, and cannot stand.’”ADF submitted comments to four of the agencies in support of federal regulations governing the eligibility of faith-based entities to participate in certain federal programs.
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ABOUT Zack Pruitt
Zack Pruitt serves as senior counsel and director of U.S. government relations at Alliance Defending Freedom. In this role, he promotes ADF's policy and legislative work at the national level on behalf of the broader ADF public policy team. As a principal strategist, Pruitt oversees the federal and state government relations teams and provides legal counsel regarding ADF’s core issues to state officials, members and staff of the U.S. Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. Prior to joining ADF, Pruitt served as senior policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity and director of public policy for the Family Action Council of Tennessee. Pruitt earned his Juris Doctor with a certificate in International and Comparative Law from St. Louis University School of Law. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is member of the state bar in Tennessee and the District of Columbia and is also admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court.