Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 12, 2025)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 9365-9368]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2025-02611]

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 28 / Wednesday, February 12, 2025 /

Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--

The President

[[Page 9365]]

Executive Order 14202 of February 6, 2025

Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias

By the authority vested in me as President by the

Constitution and the laws of the United States of

America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose and Policy. It is the policy of the

United States, and the purpose of this order, to

protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the

anti-Christian weaponization of government. The

Founders established a Nation in which people were free

to practice their faith without fear of discrimination

or retaliation by their government.

For that reason, the United States Constitution

enshrines the fundamental right to religious liberty in

the First Amendment. Federal laws like the Religious

Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, as amended (42 U.S.C.

2000bb et seq.), further prohibit government

interference with Americans' rights to exercise their

religion. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as

amended (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), prohibits religious

discrimination in employment while Federal hate-crime

laws prohibit offenses committed due to religious

animus.

r prohibit government

interference with Americans' rights to exercise their

religion. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as

amended (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), prohibits religious

discrimination in employment while Federal hate-crime

laws prohibit offenses committed due to religious

animus.

Yet the previous Administration engaged in an egregious

pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while

ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses. The Biden

Department of Justice sought to squelch faith in the

public square by bringing Federal criminal charges and

obtaining in numerous cases multi-year prison sentences

against nearly two dozen peaceful pro-life Christians

for praying and demonstrating outside abortion

facilities. Those convicted included a Catholic priest

and 75-year-old grandmother, as well as an 87-year-old

woman and a father of 11 children who were arrested 18

months after praying and singing hymns outside an

abortion facility in Tennessee as a part of a

politically motivated prosecution campaign by the Biden

Administration. I rectified this injustice on January

23, 2025, by issuing pardons in these cases.

At the same time, Catholic churches, charities, and

pro-life centers sought justice for violence, theft,

and arson perpetrated against them, which the Biden

Department of Justice largely ignored. After more than

100 attacks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a

resolution condemning this violence and calling on the

Biden Administration to enforce the law.

pro-life centers sought justice for violence, theft,

and arson perpetrated against them, which the Biden

Department of Justice largely ignored. After more than

100 attacks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a

resolution condemning this violence and calling on the

Biden Administration to enforce the law.

Then, in 2023, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

memorandum asserted that ``radical-traditionalist''

Catholics were domestic-terrorism threats and suggested

infiltrating Catholic churches as ``threat

mitigation.'' This later-retracted FBI memorandum cited

as support evidence propaganda from highly partisan

sources.

The Biden Department of Education sought to repeal

religious-liberty protections for faith-based

organizations on college campuses. The Biden Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission sought to force

Christians to affirm radical transgender ideology

against their faith. And the Biden Department of Health

and Human Services sought to drive Christians who do

not conform to certain beliefs on sexual orientation

and gender identity out of the foster-care system. The

Biden Administration declared March 31, 2024--Easter

Sunday--as ``Transgender Day of Visibility.''

In this atmosphere of anti-Christian government,

hostility and vandalism against Christian churches and

places of worship surged, with the number of such

identified acts in 2023 exceeding by more than eight

times the

[[Page 9366]]

rch 31, 2024--Easter

Sunday--as ``Transgender Day of Visibility.''

In this atmosphere of anti-Christian government,

hostility and vandalism against Christian churches and

places of worship surged, with the number of such

identified acts in 2023 exceeding by more than eight

times the

[[Page 9366]]

number from 2018. Catholic churches and institutions

have been aggressively targeted with hundreds of acts

of hostility, violence, and vandalism.

My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian

weaponization of government or unlawful conduct

targeting Christians. The law protects the freedom of

Americans and groups of Americans to practice their

faith in peace, and my Administration will enforce the

law and protect these freedoms. My Administration will

ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct,

policies, or practices that target Christians are

identified, terminated, and rectified.

Sec. 2. Establishing a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-

Christian Bias. (a) There is hereby established within

the Department of Justice the Task Force to Eradicate

Anti-Christian Bias (Task Force).

(b) The Attorney General shall serve as Chair of

the Task Force.

(c) In addition to the Chair, the Task Force shall

consist of the following other members:

(i) the Secretary of State;

(ii) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(iii) the Secretary of Defense;

(iv) the Secretary of Labor;

Anti-Christian Bias (Task Force).

(b) The Attorney General shall serve as Chair of

the Task Force.

(c) In addition to the Chair, the Task Force shall

consist of the following other members:

(i) the Secretary of State;

(ii) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(iii) the Secretary of Defense;

(iv) the Secretary of Labor;

(v) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(vi) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;

(vii) the Secretary of Education;

(viii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(ix) the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(x) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(xi) Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations;

(xii) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(xiii) the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(xiv) the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy;

(xv) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(xvi) the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and

(xvii) the heads of such other executive departments, agencies, and offices

that the Chair may, from time to time, invite to participate.

Sec. 3. Task Force Functions. (a) The Task Force shall

meet as required by the Chair and shall take

appropriate action to:

(i) review the activities of all executive departments and agencies

(agencies), including the Department of State, the Department of Justice,

including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, the

Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the

Department of Homeland Security, and the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission, over the previous Administration and identify any unlawful

anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct by an agency contrary to the

purpose and policy of this order;

ding the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, the

Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the

Department of Homeland Security, and the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission, over the previous Administration and identify any unlawful

anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct by an agency contrary to the

purpose and policy of this order;

(ii) recommend to the head of the relevant agency steps to revoke or

terminate any violative policies, practices, or conduct identified under

subsection (3)(a)(i) of this section and remedial actions to fulfill the

purpose and policy of this order;

(iii) share information and develop strategies to protect the religious

liberties of Americans and advance the purpose and policy of this order;

(iv) solicit information and ideas from a broad range of individuals and

groups, including Americans affected by anti-Christian conduct, faith-based

organizations, and State, local, and Tribal governments, in order to ensure

that its work is informed by a broad spectrum of ideas and experiences;

[[Page 9367]]

(v) identify deficiencies in existing laws and enforcement and regulatory

practices that have contributed to unlawful anti-Christian governmental or

private conduct and recommend to the relevant agency head, or recommend to

the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the

Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, as applicable, appropriate

actions that agencies may take to remedy failures to fully enforce the law

against acts of anti-Christian hostility, vandalism, and violence; and

(vi) recommend to the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for

Policy and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, any

additional Presidential or legislative action necessary to rectify past

improper anti-Christian conduct, protect religious liberty, or otherwise

fulfill the purpose and policy of this order.

nst acts of anti-Christian hostility, vandalism, and violence; and

(vi) recommend to the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for

Policy and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, any

additional Presidential or legislative action necessary to rectify past

improper anti-Christian conduct, protect religious liberty, or otherwise

fulfill the purpose and policy of this order.

(b) In order to advise the President regarding its

work and assist the President in formulating future

policy, the Task Force shall submit to the President,

through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the

Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy:

(i) a report within 120 days from the date of this order regarding the Task

Force's initial work;

(ii) a report within 1 year from the date of this order that summarizes the

Task Force's work; and

(iii) a final report upon the dissolution of the Task Force.

Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The heads of agencies

shall, to the extent permitted by law, upon the request

of the Chair, provide the Task Force with any

information required by the Task Force for the purpose

of carrying out its functions.

(b) The Department of Justice shall provide such

funding and administrative and technical support as the

Task Force may require, to the extent permitted by law

and as authorized by existing appropriations.

Sec. 5. Termination. The Task Force shall terminate 2

years from the date of this order unless extended by

the President.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order

shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

he extent permitted by law

and as authorized by existing appropriations.

Sec. 5. Termination. The Task Force shall terminate 2

years from the date of this order unless extended by

the President.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order

shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or

the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with

applicable law and subject to the availability of

appropriations.

[[Page 9368]]

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,

create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,

enforceable at law or in equity by any party against

the United States, its departments, agencies, or

entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any

other person.

(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

February 6, 2025.

[FR Doc. 2025-02611

Filed 2-11-25; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3395-F4-P