(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) joined Co-Chairs of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Representatives Lois Frankel (FL-21), Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14), and Jackie Speier (CA-14), and Vice Chairs Representatives Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Deb Haaland (NM-01) in sending a letter to the Department of Labor expressing opposition to the Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ proposed rule entitled, “Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption.” The letter was signed by more than 40 additional Members.

The Members wrote:

“The proposed rule would embolden discrimination against women and LGBTQ individuals by allowing federal contractors to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize discrimination, as well as use their religious beliefs to engage in otherwise unlawful behavior.” 

The Members continued:

“In addition, the proposed rule would allow employers to refuse to hire women, or discriminate in pay, benefits, or working conditions, based on a religious belief that women should not work outside the home, or that women should not be alone with men to whom they are not married. The proposed rule would turn back the clock on decades of long-standing anti-discrimination law, setting our country back, and threatening women’s and LGBTQ people’s ability to obtain and maintain employment.”

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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