President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that allows tax-exempt places of worship to participate actively in politics and could free religious organizations to deny their employees insurance coverage for birth-control pills.
The order partially fulfills an oft-repeated campaign promise by Trump, who appealed to religious conservatives in his 2016 run for the White House, although he would need an act of Congress to rescind the underlying law that he has opposed, known as the Johnson Amendment.
The order was widely praised by religious organizations that either felt hemmed in by the law or openly violated it, but the American Civil Liberties Union promised to sue to stop it, saying the order violated the U.S. tradition of separating church and state.
“We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced any more,” Trump said at signing ceremony at the White House where religious leaders had gathered in support.
“No one should be censoring sermons or targeting pastors,” he said.
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