The Freedom From Religion Foundation is sounding the alarm on the deeply troubling federal reconciliation bill making its way through Congress that would funnel billions of public dollars into religious education, erode secular public institutions, and give unprecedented power to the executive branch to target tax-exempt nonprofits — potentially including FFRF itself.
Key parts of the bill have just cleared the House Ways and Means Committee and the package is headed to the floor, containing several provisions that strike at the heart of the constitutional separation of state and church. It will then proceed to the Senate, where, as a budget reconciliation bill, it needs only a simple majority to pass the Senate, bypassing the usual 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Government power to silence nonprofits
Ominously, the reconciliation bill includes a controversial provision granting the treasury secretary unilateral authority to designate any nonprofit a “terrorist supporting organization” — stripping it of tax-exempt status without due process or oversight.
“This is an alarming abuse of executive power that could be used to silence dissenting voices,” warns FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. “No administration or agency should have that kind of unchecked authority.”
FFRF is working with civil rights allies, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, to oppose this unconstitutional power grab.
Billionaire voucher bonanza
Also at the top of the list of concerns is the so-called Educational Choice for Children Act, a federal voucher scheme that provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to private school scholarship funds — primarily religious schools. Only the ultrawealthy, with access to elite tax advisors, will be able to take advantage of the limited credit pool. This isn’t a charitable deduction; it’s a full write-off of federal tax liability, allowing the wealthy to wipe out their tax bills while steering public funds to unaccountable religious institutions.
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that the proposed measure would spur billions in contributions to private school voucher funds over the next 10 years. The scholarship funds receiving the money aren’t accountable to the public and can legally exclude students based on religion, disability, sexual orientation or academic performance.
“This is a public subsidy for religious indoctrination dressed up as school choice,” adds FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It’s the most extreme federal voucher proposal we’ve seen.”
Hidden national voucher for religious homeschooling
In addition, the bill expands 529 education savings accounts — originally intended to help families save for college — to cover homeschooling expenses, religious textbooks, unlicensed tutors and even religious therapy. It raises the annual tax-free withdrawal limit to $20,000 and boosts the gift tax exclusion, as well.
This transformation turns a college savings tool into a stealth national voucher program with no standards, no oversight and no accountability, further undermining the public education system.
FFRF is closely monitoring efforts to add a tax deduction for health care sharing ministries — religious cost-sharing arrangements that aren’t regulated like insurance, can deny care based on religious beliefs and often exclude contraception, mental health care and gender-affirming treatment.
These arrangements are unaccountable, exclusionary and dangerous. Allowing tax deductions for such entities would be yet another backdoor subsidy for religious doctrine.
Fighting back for secular government
FFRF is actively working with the FFRF Action Fund (our lobbying arm), the Congressional Freethought Caucus and a coalition of secular, civil rights and faith-based organizations to oppose this sweeping and dangerous legislation.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash
