Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission Pushes Controversial Recommendations Amid Legal Challenge

The presidentially appointed Religious Liberty Commission, created by former President Donald Trump in 2023, is preparing its final report. Commissioners used an April meeting to present a “wish list” that includes a federal hotline with the recorded message “There is no separation of church and state,” proposals for bumper-sticker campaigns, mandatory notices of religious-expression rights in schools and workplaces, and restored pay and pensions for service members discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.

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The panel was established as part of a broader Trump-era effort that also produced the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. Its stated purpose is to advise the administration on protecting what members describe as “religious liberty” in public institutions. The commission’s activities have been linked to events such as Bible-reading marathons at the Museum of the Bible and a May 17 prayer service marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

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• Dan Patrick – Texas lieutenant governor, chair of the commission.

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• Carrie Prejean Boller – Catholic commissioner ousted in February after a hearing on antisemitism.

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• Bishop Robert Barron – Head of the Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, advocating federal funding for Catholic charities.

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• Kelly Shackelford – President and CEO of the First Liberty Institute, urging the government to cover legal fees in religious-liberty cases.

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• Rev. Paul Brandeus Raushenbush – President of the progressive Interfaith Alliance, a plaintiff in the lawsuit over panel composition.

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• Progressive interreligious coalition – Filed a federal suit alleging the panel violates advisory-panel diversity requirements.

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• One Orthodox Jewish rabbi and witnesses from Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities also testified before the panel.

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• One commissioner (Boller) was removed during the panel’s tenure.

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• One Orthodox Jewish rabbi serves on the commission; additional witnesses represented Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh faiths.

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• Several members participated in a Bible-reading marathon and are slated for the May 17 prayer event.

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• The panel’s recommendations span multiple policy areas, including education, labor law, healthcare mandates, and immigration enforcement in sanctuaries.

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Commission chair Dan Patrick repeatedly asserted that the notion of church-state separation is “a lie,” urging the printing of “a million bumper stickers” to that effect. The administration argues that the federal advisory-panel statute does not prescribe a specific balance of viewpoints, and therefore the lawsuit should be dismissed. Kelly Shackelford contended that requiring the government to pay legal fees for successful religious-liberty suits would “shift power in favor of citizens.” Bishop Barron called for allowing Catholic charities to receive federal money without compromising traditional teachings and for humane treatment of Catholic immigrants in detention. President Trump, speaking at a 2025 White House prayer event, dismissed the separation doctrine as something to “forget about for one time.”

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The progressive interreligious coalition claims the commission’s membership is overwhelmingly conservative Christian, violating the requirement for diverse viewpoints. Rev. Raushenbush warned that the panel’s focus on right-leaning grievances neglects anti-Muslim incidents in Texas and the rise of antisemitism on the political right. Critics also argue that the commission’s report functions more as advocacy than an objective investigation.

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Sources differ on whether the advisory-panel law mandates a specific ideological mix; the administration says it does not, while plaintiffs assert that the law requires balanced representation. Additionally, the commission’s claim that “there is no separation of church and state” conflicts with Supreme Court precedent that interprets the First Amendment as establishing a “wall of separation.” No definitive data are provided on the exact religious composition beyond the single Orthodox Jewish member.

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• “There is no separation of church and state.” — Automated recording proposed for federal hotline (Chair Dan Patrick’s initiative)

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• “We need to say there is no separation of church and state,” Patrick said at the April meeting. “That’s a lie.” — Dan Patrick, Texas lieutenant governor

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• “That would be a huge shifting of power in favor of citizens,” — Kelly Shackelford, First Liberty Institute

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• “I don’t have any malice towards anyone that doesn’t believe in any type of faith,” — Dan Patrick, commission chair

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• “He said the commission has failed adequately to address such issues as anti-Muslim efforts in Texas and elsewhere, and also the rise of antisemitism on the right, not just the left.” — Rev. Paul Brandeus Raushenbush, Interfaith Alliance

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• “They say separation between church and state,” Trump said. “I said, all right, let’s forget about that for one time.” — Donald Trump, White House prayer event

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The commission’s final report is expected later this year, and its recommendations could influence future executive actions. A May 17 prayer service marking the nation’s 250th birthday will feature several commissioners. The federal lawsuit challenging the panel’s composition remains pending, and any court ruling could reshape the legal standards for advisory-panel diversity.

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