Senator Lankford Supports HHS Waiver for Religious Freedom in South Carolina

Statement

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today supported the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) decision to provide South Carolina a waiver to continue to allow faith-based child welfare providers such as Miracle Hill Ministries to provide foster care and family services in accordance with their religious beliefs.

"I am pleased to see HHS protect the religious beliefs of child welfare agencies across South Carolina today," said Lankford. "The government should not tell American organizations that the same faith that drives them to help vulnerable children and families also disqualifies them from providing those services. HHS is upholding federal law by allowing faith-based agencies to maintain their religious identity as they continue to help children find families. In the days ahead, HHS should continue to protect faith-based child welfare agencies by repealing the misguided Obama-era regulations that prompted South Carolina to seek this exception."

In 2017, Lankford applauded a Supreme Court ruling in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church and religious freedom, which held that Missouri was wrong to exclude Trinity Lutheran Church from a program intended to help nonprofits improve the playground at its preschool and daycare center solely because the daycare was religiously affiliated.

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