Lawmaker backs HR 1744 to reauthorize U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
June 08, 2026 | House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee, House, Legislative, Federal
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A lawmaker said they "rise in support of HR1744, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2025," urging Congress to extend the commission's mandate.
The bill would renew authorization for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a body Congress created in 1998 to monitor religious-freedom conditions abroad and recommend actions to Congress and the president. Under current law the commission is slated to terminate on Sept. 30 of this year; the bill would extend authorization through December 2028.
The speaker framed the measure as protecting a fundamental liberty, invoking the Bill of Rights and the right to freely exercise religion. The lawmaker said the commission plays a role in identifying and responding to threats to religious freedom worldwide.
To support the reauthorization, the speaker cited a series of international examples, saying Christians in Nigeria have been killed by militants and that some Chinese worshippers have been forced underground. The lawmaker also alleged that Nicaragua’s government has barred Bibles from being brought into the country and said that, in parts of the Middle East and South Asia, Christians face harassment and legal penalties for traditional religious views.
The speaker further listed groups they said face repression elsewhere, naming Uyghurs in China, Ahmadis in Pakistan, Rohingya Muslims in Burma and religious restrictions in Vietnam, and argued those situations show the need for congressional oversight and tools to respond.
The remarks in the transcript did not record any formal vote or additional debate on the floor or in committee. The bill text in the transcript was described as a reauthorization; the lawmaker said it would keep the commission operating through December 2028. No funding amounts or implementation details were given in the recorded remarks.
The lawmaker concluded by saying the commission "gives Congress tools to confront persecution and protect religious freedom."
The bill would renew authorization for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a body Congress created in 1998 to monitor religious-freedom conditions abroad and recommend actions to Congress and the president. Under current law the commission is slated to terminate on Sept. 30 of this year; the bill would extend authorization through December 2028.
The speaker framed the measure as protecting a fundamental liberty, invoking the Bill of Rights and the right to freely exercise religion. The lawmaker said the commission plays a role in identifying and responding to threats to religious freedom worldwide.
To support the reauthorization, the speaker cited a series of international examples, saying Christians in Nigeria have been killed by militants and that some Chinese worshippers have been forced underground. The lawmaker also alleged that Nicaragua’s government has barred Bibles from being brought into the country and said that, in parts of the Middle East and South Asia, Christians face harassment and legal penalties for traditional religious views.
The speaker further listed groups they said face repression elsewhere, naming Uyghurs in China, Ahmadis in Pakistan, Rohingya Muslims in Burma and religious restrictions in Vietnam, and argued those situations show the need for congressional oversight and tools to respond.
The remarks in the transcript did not record any formal vote or additional debate on the floor or in committee. The bill text in the transcript was described as a reauthorization; the lawmaker said it would keep the commission operating through December 2028. No funding amounts or implementation details were given in the recorded remarks.
The lawmaker concluded by saying the commission "gives Congress tools to confront persecution and protect religious freedom."
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