Trump to sign executive order to 'protect and vigorously promote religious liberty'

Unit of Study: Unit 6, civil liberties

In early May of 2017, President Donald Trump signed another executive order. The reason this order was established was for the goal to "protect and vigorously promote religious liberty" and "alleviate the burden" of a law designed to prohibit religious leaders from speaking out about politics, according to senior administration officials. This order was implemented to make it easier for those employers with religious objections not to include contraception coverage in workers' health care plans, although it would be up to federal agencies to determine how that would happen. Donald Trump's main reason for this was to appeal to the conservatives that have supported him and not necessarily what would be best for the country as a whole. Many civil liberties groups are furious and are ready to fight this executive order. “It would create an unprecedented license to discriminate with taxpayers’ funds, undermine women’s health care and elevate one narrow set of religious beliefs over all others,” said Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign, of the previous leaked draft. This order will directly affect the John Amendment which states that tax-emempt, religious organization can't be involved with political action. This amendment can't even be touched by Donald Trump because it is a law which must go through congress.

Civil liberties are legal and constitutional protections that American citizens have from the federal and state governments. There have been many Supreme Court cases involved with civil liberties in the past and with this order, the possibility for another one may arise. A president does not have any power to change a current amendment himself because it must go through the amendment process which is controlled by Congress.

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