Senior Trump Administration officials briefed about 100 faith leaders from around the country at a White House meeting on December 16, which included WCRIS Executive Director Sharon Schmeling.
“Short of sitting in the Oval Office, it doesn’t get any better than this,” Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told the faith leaders at the meeting held in the Indian Treaty Room.
“Religious liberty and economic freedom are good policy. They lead to more happiness,” Mulvaney said, noting that philosophy is the basis for the President’s support for the institutions and agencies represented by those in attendance.
“Freedom of religion is not just worship on Sundays. Religious freedom includes individuals practicing their faith every day,” he said.
While changing social values present challenges to the work being done by those in attendance, Mulvaney noted this is not new.
“When has the tide of culture and history not been against us?”
The 90-minute briefing, with a question and answer exchange with five different administration staff and agency leaders, touched on religious freedom issues affecting private K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and charitable helping organizations.
The need for these supporting institutions can be seen in responses necessary to fighting the opioid crisis, supporting people with mental illnesses and helping children in foster care, the officials said.
Other topics addressed at the briefing included the new federal rules on overtime that took effect January 1. Schmeling told the Department of Labor official of the concern many private schools have with the new rules, and urged an exemption for non-profit organizations.
