House members
All current members caucus with the Democratic Party. The 118th Congress has 22 declared members. [13]
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- Former members
- Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), term ended January 2023 [14]
- Jerry McNerney (CA-9), term ended January 2023 [14]
Congressional Freethought Caucus | |
|---|---|
| Co-chairs | Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin |
| Founded | April 25, 2018 |
| Ideology | Secularism Evidence-based policy |
| National affiliation | Nominally: Nonpartisan De Facto: Democratic Party |
| Colors | Blue |
| Seats in the Senate Democratic Caucus | 0 / 48 |
| Seats in the Senate | 0 / 100 |
| Seats in House Democratic Caucus | 22 / 213 (plus 1 non-voting) |
| Seats in the House | 22 / 435 (plus 1 non-voting) |
| Website | |
| Congressional Freethought Caucus | |
The Congressional Freethought Caucus is a membership organization in the United States House of Representatives established to promote policy solutions based on reason and science, and to defend the secular character of government. Representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin have co-chaired the caucus since it formed in April 2018.
The Congressional Freethought Caucus was unveiled by Huffman during the Secular Coalition for America annual awards dinner in Washington, DC. [1] The Secular Coalition for America released a statement applauding the founding members of the caucus: "The formation of a Congressional Freethought Caucus is a milestone moment for nonreligious Americans in our continued struggle for inclusion in the political process and recognition as a constituency. We are living in a time when one-quarter of Americans identify as nonreligious and yet, despite these demographic changes, our community is still disparaged, stigmatized, and underrepresented in elected offices at every level of government. By proudly and unapologetically standing up for the nonreligious, these Members of Congress have struck a powerful blow against the de facto religious test that keeps so many secular Americans from seeking public office." [2]
According to a 2019 Gallup poll, only 60% of Americans would vote an atheist for president. This is lower than the number who would vote for an African American, Jewish, gay, or Muslim candidate. [3]
| Election year | Overall seats | Democratic seats | Non-voting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 14 / 435 | 14 / 233 | 1 Delegate |
| 2020 | 17 / 435 | 17 / 222 | 1 Delegate |
| 2022 | 22 / 435 | 22 / 213 | 1 Delegate |
The CFC was formed in April 2018 by four members of the U.S. House: Representatives Jared Huffman, Jamie Raskin, Jerry McNerney, and Dan Kildee, [4] soon joined by Pramila Jayapal. [5]
The caucus was established in reaction to the influence of religion, especially that of the Christian right, in public policymaking in ways that the caucus's founders deem inappropriate in a secular government. They see such influence as hampering effective and appropriate responses to issues ranging from climate change to gun violence. Huffman has identified as a humanist without a God belief, but has indicated that the caucus is open to religious members who support the use of science and reason and defend a secular government. [6] The American Humanist Association and the Center for Freethought Equality were involved in "helping establish the caucus" by consultation. [7]
Former House of Representatives historian Ray Smock and historian of science and religion Stephen Weldon have noted what they see as the caucus's unique and historic nature. Smock says it hearkens back to the Enlightenment ideas from the founding of the nation, and Weldon points out the political liability of being non-religious. [5] Raskin called the caucus "historic", while Huffman stated it would "help spark an open dialogue about science and reason-based policy". [8]
By September 2018, the caucus had added four more members and actively opposed Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. [9] Membership has since expanded modestly, [10] [11] with the two newest members joining in March 2024. [12]
| Term start | Term end | Chair(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | present | Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jamie Raskin (MD-8) | |
All current members caucus with the Democratic Party. The 118th Congress has 22 declared members. [13]
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Coordinator of the Freethought Equality Fund Political Action Committee, Ron Millar, who participated in planning the caucus, stated specific aims the aforementioned PAC "wants to see", including "action against climate change"; "access to contraception and abortion"; and "maintaining" the Johnson Amendment (which establishes that tax-exempt nonprofits like religious organizations cannot endorse political candidates), among others. [16]
Secular humanism is a philosophy, belief system, or life stance that embraces human reason, logic, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism, while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision-making.
Religious humanism or ethical humanism is an integration of nontheistic humanist philosophy with congregational rites and community activity that center on human needs, interests, and abilities. Religious humanists set themselves apart from secular humanists by characterizing the nontheistic humanist life stance as a non-supernatural "religion" and structuring their organization around a congregational model.
The American Humanist Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization in the United States that advances secular humanism.
Fortney Hillman Stark Jr., known as Pete Stark, was an American businessman and politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 2013. A Democrat from California, Stark's district—California's 13th congressional district during his last two decades in Congress—was in southwestern Alameda County and included Alameda, Union City, Hayward, Newark, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, and Fremont, as well as parts of Oakland and Pleasanton. At the time he left office in 2013, he was the fifth most senior Representative, as well as sixth most senior member of Congress overall. He was also the dean of California's 53-member Congressional delegation, and the only openly atheist member of Congress.
Humanists International is an international non-governmental organisation championing secularism and human rights, motivated by secular humanist values. Founded in Amsterdam in 1952, it is an umbrella organisation made up of more than 160 secular humanist, atheist, rationalist, agnostic, skeptic, freethought and Ethical Culture organisations from over 80 countries.
The Secular Coalition for America is an advocacy group located in Washington D.C. It describes itself as "protecting the equal rights of nonreligious Americans."
Gerald Mark McNerney is an American businessman, politician, and the U.S. representative for California's 9th congressional district from 2007 until 2023. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district, numbered as the 11th district until 2013, was based in Stockton and included parts of San Joaquin County, East Contra Costa County, and southern Sacramento County. McNerney holds a Ph.D in mathematics. McNerney did not run for reelection in 2022.
JaminBen Raskin, better known as Jamie Raskin, is an American attorney, law professor, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Maryland State Senate from 2007 to 2016. The district previously included portions of Montgomery County, a suburban county northwest of Washington, D.C., and extended through rural Frederick County to the Pennsylvania border. Since redistricting in 2022, Raskin's district now encompasses only part of Montgomery County.
The National Day of Reason is a secular celebration for humanists, atheists, secularists, and freethinkers. The day is celebrated annually on the first Thursday in May, in response to the statutory observance of a National Day of Prayer in the United States, which many atheist and secular groups deem unconstitutional. The purpose of the National Day of Reason is to "celebrate reason—a concept all Americans can support—and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship." The National Day of Reason is also meant to help build community among the non-religious in the United States.
Jared William Huffman is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 2nd congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Huffman represented the 6th district in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012. He chaired the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee and the Assembly Environmental Caucus. He was elected to Congress in 2012 with more than 70% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Dan Roberts. His congressional district covers the North Coast from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
Margaret Downey is a nontheist activist who is a former President of Atheist Alliance International and founder and president of the Freethought Society. She also founded the Anti-Discrimination Support Network, which reports and helps deal with discrimination against atheists.
The Out Campaign is a public awareness initiative for freethought and atheism in the US. It was initiated by Robin Elisabeth Cornwell, and is endorsed by Richard Dawkins, a prominent atheist. The campaign aims to create more openness about being an atheist by providing a means by which atheists can identify themselves to others by displaying the movement's scarlet letterA, a scarlet colored capital "A" in the Zapfino typeface, and an allusion to the scarlet letter A worn by Hester Prynne after being convicted of adultery in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. It encourages those who wish to be part of the campaign to come out and re-appropriate, in a humorous way, the social stigma that in some places persists against atheism, by branding themselves with a scarlet letter.
Thomas W. Flynn was an American author, journalist, novelist, executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism, and editor of its journal Free Inquiry. He was also director of the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum and the Freethought Trail.
David Niose is an attorney, author, and activist who has served as president of the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America. In these positions he has pursued legal and advocacy efforts on behalf of secularism.
Daniel Timothy Kildee is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district since 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
The secular movement refers to a social and political trend in the United States, beginning in the early years of the 20th century, with the founding of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism in 1925 and the American Humanist Association in 1941, in which atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers, and other nonreligious and nontheistic Americans have grown in both numbers and visibility. There has been a sharp increase in the number of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated, from under 10 percent in the 1990s to 20 percent in 2013. The trend is especially pronounced among young people, with about one in three Americans younger than 30 identifying as religiously unaffiliated, a figure that has nearly tripled since the 1990s.
Mandisa Lateefah Thomas is the founder and president of Black Nonbelievers Inc. She has spoken at secular conferences and events, and has promoted the group's agenda in media outlets.
The Medicare for All Caucus is a congressional caucus in the United States House of Representatives, consisting of members that advocate for the implementation of a single-payer healthcare system. It was announced by progressive members of the House of Representatives in July 2018 with over 70 founding members, all Democrats.
Project Blitz is a coalition of over 40 Christian right groups, including the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, the National Legal Foundation, and Wallbuilders Pro-Family Legislators Conference. Founded by Randy Forbes, the group states that it seeks to "protect the free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square, and to reclaim and properly define the narrative which supports such beliefs." It is rooted in Christian nationalist ideology. Project Blitz also operates as "Freedom for All" and as part of the "First Freedom Coalition."