President Biden Issues Passover Statement

Passover begins this evening. Yesterday President Biden issued a Statement on Passover (full text) which says in part:

Tomorrow night, Jews around the world will celebrate Passover, recounting their miraculous Exodus story from hundreds of years of enslavement in Egypt and their journey to freedom. This holiday reminds us of a profound and powerful truth: that even in the face of persecution, if we hold on to faith, we shall endure and overcome....

My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. My Administration is working around the clock to free the hostages, and we will not rest until we bring them home. We are also working to establish an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza as a part of a deal that releases the hostages and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. We will continue to work toward a two-state solution that provides equal security, prosperity, and enduring peace for Israelis and Palestinians. And we are leading international efforts to ensure Israel can defend itself against Iran and its proxies, including by directing the U.S. military to help defend Israel against Iran’s unprecedented attacks last weekend.

The ancient story of persecution against Jews in the Haggadah also reminds us that we must speak out against the alarming surge of Antisemitism – in our schools, communities, and online. Silence is complicity. Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country. My Administration will continue to speak out and aggressively implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community....

Vatican Releases Declaration on Human Dignity

 On April 8, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a Declaration on Human Dignity, “Dignitas Infinita" (full text).  An introduction to the Declaration by the Prefect of the Dicastery says in part:

The five-year course of the text’s preparation helps us to understand that the document before us reflects the gravity and centrality of the theme of dignity in Christian thought. The text required a considerable process of maturation to arrive at the final version that we have published today.

In its initial three sections, the Declaration recalls fundamental principles and theoretical premises, with the goal of offering important clarifications that can help avoid frequent confusion that surrounds the use of the term “dignity.” The fourth section presents some current and problematic situations in which the immense and inalienable dignity due to every human being is not sufficiently recognized. The Church sees the condemnation of these grave and current violations of human dignity as a necessary measure, for she sustains the deep conviction that we cannot separate faith from the defense of human dignity, evangelization from the promotion of a dignified life, and spirituality from a commitment to the dignity of every human being.

The items described at length in the fourth section as "grave violations of human dignity" are the drama of poverty, war, travail of migrants, human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence against women, abortion, surrogacy, euthanasia and assisted suicide, marginalization of people with disabilities, gender theory, sex change and digital violence. The document's discussion of gender identity has perhaps created the most controversy. The Document says in part:

It needs to be emphasized that ‘biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.’” Therefore, all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected: “We cannot separate the masculine and the feminine from God’s work of creation, which is prior to all our decisions and experiences, and where biological elements exist which are impossible to ignore.” Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity....

It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception. This is not to exclude the possibility that a person with genital abnormalities that are already evident at birth or that develop later may choose to receive the assistance of healthcare professionals to resolve these abnormalities. However, in this case, such a medical procedure would not constitute a sex change in the sense intended here.

Asked at a Press Gaggle (full text) about President Biden's reaction to the Declaration, the White House Press Secretary said that it was not the President's role "to litigate internal church policy," but that the President has been clear that it is important to have protections for the transgender community and the broader LGBTQ+ community. 

Vox reports at greater length on the Vatican document.

President Biden Sends Easter Greetings

The White House today posted a Statement from President Biden (full text) sending Easter greetings to the world's Christians.  The Statement reads:

Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection.

As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities. And with wars and conflict taking a toll on innocent lives around the world, we renew our commitment to work for peace, security, and dignity for all people.

From our family to yours, happy Easter and may God bless you.

White House Statements Trigger Partisan Religious Controversy

The confluence this year of the dates for Easter and for the international Transgender Day of Visibility has resulted in an unusual religious controversy.  President Biden issued a Proclamation (full text) designating today as Transgender Day of Visibility, saying in part:

Transgender Americans are part of the fabric of our Nation.  Whether serving their communities or in the military, raising families or running businesses, they help America thrive.  They deserve, and are entitled to, the same rights and freedoms as every other American, including the most fundamental freedom to be their true selves.  But extremists are proposing hundreds of hateful laws that target and terrify transgender kids and their families — silencing teachers; banning books; and even threatening parents, doctors, and nurses with prison for helping parents get care for their children.  These bills attack our most basic American values,,,,

As reported by NBC News, this, along with the terms of a White House Easter Egg design contest for youths from National Guard families has sparked criticism from numerous Republican politicians. The flyer (full text) calling for youths to submit their Easter Egg designs includes in the lengthy instructions the following:

The Submission must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age....

The Submission must not include any questionable content, religious symbols, overtly religious themes, or partisan political statements....

A statement yesterday (full text) from the Trump campaign called Biden's Proclamation "blasphemous" and said in part:

Sadly, these are just two more examples of the Biden Administration’s years-long assault on the Christian faith. We call on Joe Biden’s failing campaign and White House to issue an apology to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe tomorrow is for one celebration only — the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

President Sends Ramadan Greetings Outlining Policy Initiatives

 President Biden yesterday issued a Statement on the Occasion of Ramadan (full text), saying in part:

Tonight—as the new crescent moon marks the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan—Jill and I extend our best wishes and prayers to Muslims across our country and around the world....

...As Muslims gather around the world over the coming days and weeks to break their fast, the suffering of the Palestinian people will be front of mind for many. It is front of mind for me.

The United States will continue to lead international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza by land, air, and sea....

While we get more life-saving aid to Gaza, the United States will continue working non-stop to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire for at least six weeks as part of a deal that releases hostages. And we will continue building toward a long-term future of stability, security, and peace. That includes a two-state solution to ensure Palestinians and Israelis share equal measures of freedom, dignity, security, and prosperity. That is the only path toward an enduring peace.

Here at home, we have seen an appalling resurgence of hate and violence toward Muslim Americans. Islamophobia has absolutely no place in the United States, a country founded on freedom of worship and built on the contributions of immigrants, including Muslim immigrants. My Administration is developing the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination, to take on hate against Muslim, Sikh, South Asian, and Arab American communities, wherever it occurs.

Biden Speaks at National Prayer Breakfast

Yesterday, the National Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, was held in Statuary Hall in the Capitol building in Washington D.C. President Biden delivered remarks (full text) at the Breakfast, saying in part:

I also see the trauma, the death, and destruction in Israel and Gaza.  And I understand that the pain and passion felt by so many here in America and around the world.

We value and pray for the lives taken and for the families left behind, for all those who are living in dire circumstances — innocent men, women, and children held hostage or under bombardment or displaced, not knowing where their next meal will come from or if it will come at all.

Not only do we pray for peace, we are actively working for peace, security, dignity for the Israeli people and the Palestinian people.

Sponsorship of the National Prayer Breakfast-- which has been held annually since 1953-- has become more complicated, as explained in reporting on this year's event by Religion News Service:

The refashioned National Prayer Breakfast is a scaled-down version of an event that has drawn thousands to the Washington Hilton and was previously hosted by a group often known as “The Family,” but that called itself the International Foundation.

Since last year, there have been two events, one sponsored by the new National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, after years of controversy following the 2018 breakfast and accusations that the gathering of national and international political and religious leaders had become vulnerable to espionage.

The second event, dubbed the NPB Gathering, and held again this year at the Hilton, drew about 2,000 people from more than 125 countries, including heads of state, and featured a livestream of Biden’s remarks....

President Issues Statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today President Biden issued a Statement (full text) calling attention to International Holocaust Remembrance Day which occurs tomorrow (the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by Soviet armed forces). The Statement reads in part:

Tomorrow ... we join nations around the world and pause to mourn one of the darkest chapters in human history, when six million Jews were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators in the Holocaust during the 1930s and 1940s. We also grieve the Roma, Sinti, Slavs, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, racial minorities, and political dissidents who were abused or killed. And we honor the courage of survivors and the heroism of people who bravely stood up to the Nazis, risking everything to save innocent lives.

This year, the charge to remember the Holocaust, the evil of the Nazis, and the scourge of antisemitism is more pressing than ever. On October 7 Hamas terrorists unleashed pure, unadulterated evil on the people of Israel....

In the aftermath of Hamas’s vicious massacre, we have witnessed an alarming rise of despicable antisemitism at home and abroad that has surfaced painful scars from millennia of hate and genocide of Jewish people. It is unacceptable. We cannot remember all that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust experienced and then stand silently by when Jews are attacked and targeted again today. Without equivocation or exception, we must also forcefully push back against attempts to ignore, deny, distort, and revise history. This includes Holocaust denialism and efforts to minimize the horrors that Hamas perpetrated on October 7, especially its appalling and unforgiveable use of rape and sexual violence to terrorize victims.

Today Is Religious Freedom Day

Today is Religious Freedom Day, commemorating Virginia's adoption of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786. President Biden last week signed a Proclamation (full text) designating today as Religious Freedom Day in 2024.  The Proclamation reads in part:

Everyone must be free to practice their faith without fear, whether they are gathering for worship, attending a religious school, participating in the activities of other faith-based organizations, or simply walking down the street wearing the symbols of their faith.  That is why, working with the Congress, my Administration secured the greatest increase in funding in our history for the physical security of non-profits — including churches, gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship.  In my 2024 Budget proposal to the Congress, I requested that this funding be raised to $360 million, and my Administration works continually to protect places of worship, including through an annual Protecting Places of Worship Week of Action.

Supreme Court Grants Review of EMTALA's Impact on State Abortion Restrictions

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review an Idaho federal district court decision (see prior posting) that preliminarily enjoined the state of Idaho from enforcing its nearly total abortion ban to the extent it conflicts with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The Supreme Court Order (full text) comes in the companion cases of Moyle v. United States, (Docket No. 23-726) and Idaho v. United States, (Docket No. 23-727) (certiorari granted, 1/5/2024). In September 2023, a 3-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the district court's injunction pending appeal. (See prior posting.)  However, the full 9th Circuit in an en banc Order vacated the panel's opinion that stayed the injunction and granted en banc review. In yesterday's Order, the Supreme Court allowed plaintiffs to bypass review by the 9th Circuit and present the case to the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court also again stayed the district court's preliminary injunction that limited enforcement of Idaho's abortion ban. It granted review on the Question Presented in Idaho's Application:

Whether EMTALA preempts state laws that protect human life and prohibit abortions, like Idaho's Defense of Life Act.

The Court set arguments for the April 2024 argument session. Here is the SCOTUSblog case page that will link to pleadings in the Supreme Court.

AP reports on the Supreme Court's decision. Yesterday President Biden issued a Statement (full text) criticizing the Supreme Court's action, saying in part:

Today’s Supreme Court order allows Idaho’s extreme abortion ban to go back into effect and denies women critical emergency abortion care required by federal law. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has enabled Republican elected officials to pursue dangerous abortion bans like this one that continue to jeopardize women’s health, force them to travel out of state for care, and make it harder for doctors to provide care, including in an emergency. These bans are also forcing doctors to leave Idaho and other states because of laws that interfere with their ability to care for their patients. This should never happen in America.

President Hosts White House Hanukkah Reception

On Monday evening, President Biden hosted a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House. AP reports on the reception. The President spoke for ten minutes at the reception (full text of remarks), focusing in large part on the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas. He said in part:

Most of you know someone directly or indirectly — a family, a friend — that was stolen from you or wounded, traumatized, or called up in the reserves in this last attack in Israel.

As I said after the attack, my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist ... as an independent Jewish state is ... just unshakeable.

Folks, were there no Israel, there wouldn’t be a Jew in the world who was safe....

And I make no bones about it.  I’ve had my differences with some Israeli leadership.  I’ve known Bibi for now 51 years.  He has a picture on his desk of he and I when he was a young member of the Israeli ... foreign service, and I was a 32-year-old senator.  And I wrote on the top of it, “Bibi, I love you, but I don’t agree with a damn thing you have to say.”  (Laughter.)

President Biden Issues 2023 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

Yesterday President Biden issued a Proclamation (full text) designating today as a National Day of Thanksgiving. The Proclamation reads in part:

We are truly a good Nation because we are a good people — the First Lady and I see it every time we travel the country because we meet so many incredible people doing the most extraordinary things.  We have met with service members, veterans, and their families, who have selflessly served and sacrificed for our country.  We have witnessed the resolve of firefighters, police officers, and first responders, who risk their lives every day to protect us.  We have seen the best of our character in the doctors, nurses, scientists, public servants, union workers, and teachers, who ensure everyone is taken care of and no one is left behind.  We have seen all the possibilities this Nation holds in the mothers, fathers, and caregivers, who work hard to build a future worthy of their children’s greatest dreams, and in young people across the country, who are the most talented, engaged, and educated generation in history.

This Thanksgiving we are grateful for our Nation and the incredible soul of America.  May we all remember that we are the United States of America — there is nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together.

Biden Nominates First Muslim Federal Appeals Court Judge

The White House yesterday announced several nominations that President Biden intends to make to federal circuit and district courts. Among the nominations was that of Adeel A. Mangi to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.  As reported by NBC News, if confirmed by the Senate, Mangi will be the first Muslim American to serve on a federal appeals court.

President's Statement on 25th Anniversary of International Religious Freedom Act

On Friday, President Biden issued a Statement (full text) the 25th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act. He said in part:

Here at home, we are facing a rising tide of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination that are fueling violence and hate across our country. And, around the world, billions of people live in countries where they are either persecuted or prevented from freely choosing, practicing, teaching, or leaving their faith. That’s especially true for members of religious minority communities too often endure intimidation, violence, and unequal protection under the law, while also facing restrictions on their movement, constraints on their access to education and healthcare, and the fear that their children will be taken and their faith erased. We have seen attacks on Christians in some countries. And we also continue to see repressive governments and violent extremists reach across borders and to target groups for their beliefs—an abhorrent abuse of the human rights and dignity entitled to all people.

 The United States will continue to defend religious freedom, today and always.

[Corrected]. 

FBI Releases 2022 Hate Crime Statistics

The FBI yesterday released 2022 Crime Statistics, including data on hate crimes (Methodology)  (Data on Incidents). According to the FBI:

In 2022, law enforcement agency participation significantly increased ... with a population coverage of 91.7% submitting incident reports.... There were over 11,000 single-bias hate crime incidents.... [T]he top three bias categories ... were race/ethnicity/ancestry, religion, and sexual-orientation.

The FBI reported 2,042 incidents of religiously-motivated hate crimes. 1,122 of these were anti-Jewish. The next most numerous were 181 anti-Sikh incidents; 158 anti-Muslim and 107 anti-Catholic. President Biden issued a Statement (full text) on the Hate Crime Statistics, saying in part:

The data is a reminder that hate never goes away, it only hides. Any hate crime is a stain on the soul of America.

To those Americans worried about violence at home, as a result of the evil acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, we see you. We hear you. And I have asked members of my team ... to prioritize the prevention and disruption of any emerging threats that could harm Jewish, Muslim, Arab American, or any other communities during this time. My Administration will continue to fight Antisemitism and Islamophobia.

President Sends Yom Kippur Greetings

The White House today posted a Statement from President Biden (full text) sending best wishes for Yom Kippur to Jewish communities in the United States, Israel and around the world.  The Statement says in part:

The blessing of Yom Kippur is that it is not just a day of reflection, repentance, and reverence – but a day of transformation, forgiveness, and hope. God invites us to write a new chapter in the story of our lives, and in the life of our nation. As the High Holidays conclude, let us all summon the courage to make the changes required to bridge the gap between the world we see and the world we seek.

Yom Kippur begins at sundown this evening. 

President Sends Rosh Hashanah Greetings

The White House today posted a Rosh Hashanah Statement from the President saying in part:

I’ve always believed that the message of Rosh Hashanah is universal. As Americans, the power lies within each of us to make our country more free and fair, to transform the story of our time, and to heal the soul of our nation.

Throughout the High Holidays and in the year ahead, let us summon the courage to reflect on who we are and extend compassion, love, and kindness to all. Let us celebrate and protect generations of Jewish Americans whose values, culture, and contributions have shaped our character as a nation, and enriched every part of American life. And let us remember the common values that bind us together as fellow Americans.

Jill and I extend our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Rosh Hashanah in the United States, Israel, and around the world.

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown this evening.

Biden Appoints New Member of USCIRF

Last week, President Biden announced his appointment of Susie Gelman as a Commissioner on the U.S Commission on International Religious Freedom. From 2016-2023, Gelman served as Board Chair of Israel Policy Forum. She previously served, among other positions, as President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. JNS reports on the appointment.

Biden and VP Laud Rev. Jesse Jackson on His Retirement

 At the Rainbow PUSH Coalition's 57th Annual Convention in Chicago yesterday, the Reverend Jesse Jackson officially announced his retirement as the organization's president and Reverend Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III of Dallas was named to succeed Jackson. (NBC DFW News). Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Convention, (Full text of Remarks.) Also President Joe Biden issued a Statement (full text) thanking Rev. Jackson for his life's work, saying in part:

The promise of America is that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, we’ve never fully walked away from it because of extraordinary leaders like Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.

Biden, Modi Respond To Questions About Religious Freedom In India

Yesterday, President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is making a state visit to the United States held a joint Press Conference (full transcript) at the White House. Reporters raised questions regarding India's treatment of religious minorities. Here is the relevant portion of the questions and answers:

Q    So, as you raise these broader issues of human rights and democracy, what is your message to those — including some members of your own party — who believe that your administration is overlooking the targeting of religious minorities and a crackdown on dissent in India?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, look, the Prime Minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values.  And ... that’s the nature of our relationship: We’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other.

One of the fundamental reasons that I believe the U.S.-China relationship is not in the space it is with the U.S.- Indian relationship is that there’s an overwhelming respect for each other because we’re both democracies.  And it’s a common democratic ... character of both our countries that — and our people — our diversity; our culture; our open, tolerant, robust debate. 

And I believe that we believe in the dignity of every citizen.  And it is in America’s DNA and, I believe, in India’s DNA that the whole world — the whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, in maintaining our democracies.  It makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across — around the world.  And I believe this, and I still believe this.

Q    Mr. Prime Minister, India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics.  As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?

PRIME MINISTER MODI:  (As interpreted.)  I’m actually really surprised that people say so.  And so, people don’t say it.  Indeed, India is a democracy. 

And as President Biden also mentioned, India and America — both countries, democracy is in our DNA.  Democracy is our spirit.  Democracy runs in our veins.  We live democracy.  And our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our constitution.

Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy.  And on that basis, our constitution is made and the entire country runs on that — our constitution and government.  We have always proved that democracy can deliver.  And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender.  There’s absolutely no space for discrimination. 

And when you talk of democracy, if there are no human values and there is no humanity, there are no human rights, then it’s not a democracy.

And that is why, when you say “democracy” and you accept democracy and when we live democracy, then there is absolutely no space for discrimination.  And that is why India believes in moving ahead with everybody with trust and with everybody’s efforts.

These are our foundation principles, which are the basis of how we operate, how we live our lives.  In India, the benefits that are provided by the government is accessible to all.  Whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody.  And that is why, in India’s democratic values, there’s absolutely no discrimination neither on basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location.

Biden Announces Intent to Nominate Charlotte Burrows For Third Term on EEOC

Yesterday, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Charlotte A. Burrows for a third term as a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She has served as Chair of the Commission since 2021. Before her appointment to the EEOC, Burrows served as Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice.  Burrows' nomination must be confirmed by the Senate. The EEOC enforces federal employment anti-discrimination laws, including the ban on religious discrimination.