Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been appointed to the nine-member U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
She was chosen by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Members of the commission are named by certain elected officials in a prescribed formula that ensures bipartisanship.
Rachel Laser
Commissioners are appointed for two-year terms and are eligible for one additional term. According to IRFA, commissioners are “selected among distinguished individuals noted for their knowledge and experience in fields relevant to the issue of international religious freedom, including foreign affairs, direct experience abroad, human rights and international law.”
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government commission established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief.
“As the leader of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, I defend our country’s constitutional promise of church-state separation — the shield that protects the freedom of everyone to live as themselves and believe as they choose, as long as they don’t harm others,” Laser said. “Because AU’s mission is grounded in the U.S. Constitution, our organization’s work is domestically focused. By joining the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in my personal capacity, I look forward to expanding my advocacy for religious freedom on an international scale. Both on a personal level as a religious minority, and a professional level as Americans United’s CEO, I am honored to have the opportunity to help our government fight religious extremism and protect everyone’s freedom to believe, or not, as they choose.”
Laser became president of Americans United in February 2018. She is the organization’s first non-Christian and female leader in its 78-year history.