Sen. Cruz: Trinity Lutheran Decision Is "Landmark Victory for Religious Freedom"

Yesterday I praised the United States Supreme Court's decision in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia vs. Comer.

The Court's decision today stops blatant religious discrimination by a state and is a landmark victory for religious freedom and free exercise in our country. Had this case been decided otherwise, it would have opened the door to numerous irrational attacks on religious institutions. Fortunately, that door stays closed and our nation's first liberty remains safeguarded.

In April 2016, I was proud to join 33 other members of Congress on a Supreme Court amicus brief defending Trinity Lutheran and promoting religious liberty, which can be found here.

By a vote of 7-2, the Supreme Court held that the State of Missouri violated the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause by prohibiting Trinity Lutheran from obtaining a state grant for playground safety equipment. "[T]he exclusion of Trinity Lutheran from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution," Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the majority opinion.

I have long led the fight uphold religious liberty in our country and stand with those persecuted for their faith abroad in numerous efforts including:

• Introducing joint resolutions to overturn D.C. Council legislation that undermined religious liberty;
• Co-sponsoring legislation to grant Meriam Ibrahim and her children permanent legal status; and
• Filing an amicus brief and speaking on the Supreme Court steps to defend the religious freedom of those forced to adhere to the contraception mandate under Obamacare.