Trump Administration Proposes New Rule to Protect Religion-Based Federal Contractors
The Labor Department on Wednesday proposed a rule it said would clarify religious protections for federal contractors, but critics say it will open the door to discrimination. It sparked an immediate outcry from the American Civil Liberties Union.
The proposed rule by Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs would ensure that “religious organizations may make employment decisions consistent with their sincerely held religious tenets and beliefs without fear of sanction by the federal government.” It also “reaffirms employers’ obligations not to discriminate,” according to the Labor Department. The proposed change is based on a 2010 opinion for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, written by the Labor solicitor’s father, who sits on the court.
Acting Labor Secretary Patrick Pizzella said in a press release, “As people of faith with deeply held religious beliefs are making decisions on whether to participate in federal contracting, they deserve clear understanding of their obligations and protections under the law.”
But the American Civil Liberties Union in a tweet said the proposal is “taxpayer-funded discrmination in the name of religion.” It claims Labor would let government contractors with certain religious views fire LGBTQ, pregnant or unmarried employees. President Obama signed an executive order in April 2015 expressly prohibiting discrimination against LGBT contract workers, but it’s not clear how the proposed rule would affect that order.
https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/08/trump-administration-proposes-new-rule-protect-religion-based-federal-contractors/159186/
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