Sessions: Department of Justice to Form ‘Religious Liberty Task Force’

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday that the Department of Justice will form a “religious liberty task force” designed to ensure the enforcement of President Trump’s guidelines. The Hill reports that these guidelines, implemented last year, aim to protect “religious liberty” and “political speech.” Sessions said the task force will “ensure all Justice Department components are upholding that guidance in the cases they bring and defend, the arguments they make in court, the policies and regulations they adopt, and how we conduct our operations.” He defended the task force by noting the recent cultural clash over free expression of religious beliefs, arguing that “We’ve seen nuns ordered to buy contraceptives. We’ve seen U.S. senators ask Judicial and Executive Branch nominees about dogma—even though the Constitution explicitly forbids a religious test for public office.” Sessions said that because of Trump’s focus on religious liberty, evidenced by the task force, “Religious Americans are no longer an afterthought.”