WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and 11 of his Senate colleagues submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on Friday encouraging the Court to protect religious educational institutions from discrimination in the form of disqualification from certain programs. In the pending case, Carson v. Makin, the Court is considering whether Maine violated religious liberty rights by restricting the use of otherwise generally available student-aid programs to non-religious schools.
Senator Lee said of the brief, “Congress and the Supreme Court have long understood the value of both religious and secular education institutions. Students should not be punished for attending a school where faith is taught, and states should not be able to discriminate against citizens who choose to live and learn their faith in school.”
The brief reads in part, “Since its infancy under the Articles of Confederation, the United States of America has valued education and seen it as an integral part of a free society. To that end, Congress—entrusted with the will of the People—has worked for over two hundred years to increase educational opportunities for Americans.” and continues, “History shows that Congress repeatedly allocated funds to advance education without fear of triggering Establishment Clause concerns.”
Senator Lee is joined in the brief by Senators:
Mitch McConnell, KY
John Cornyn, TX
Ron Johnson, WI
Ted Cruz, TX
Tom Cotton, AR
Steve Daines, MT
Thom Tillis, NC
Ben Sasse, NE
Marsha Blackburn, TN
Josh Hawley, MO
Mike Braun, IN
The text of the brief can be read here.