Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Chris Coons’ (D-Del.) legislation to extend the authorization of the independent, bipartisan United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through Fiscal Year (FY) 2028 advanced out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) yesterday, as amended, and is now headed to the Senate floor.
Following the bill’s passage out of SFRC, the Senators said:
“Every day, terrorists in the Sahel, brutal regimes in Iran and North Korea, and the CCP’s cruel political leadership actively surveil and target churches, depriving religious groups of their freedom to worship, pray, and practice their faith—often with no consequence. These malign actors also detain, harass, and even kill pastors and religious leaders for daring to lead and speak on matters of faith. Congress cannot allow USCIRF’s reauthorization to lapse. I urge my colleagues to quickly take up and pass this legislation, so the commission can continue monitoring and exposing violations of international religious freedom, combating the war on faith around the world, and calling out actors responsible for religious persecution and threatening U.S. national security,” said Senator Budd.
“The right to worship – or not worship – is fundamental to democracy and stability around the world. With it go freedom of speech, assembly, and petition,” said Senator Coons. “I’m proud to see our bill reauthorizing the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom advance out of the Foreign Relations Committee. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this important bill so that our government can get back to the work of protecting religious freedom globally and ensuring that everyone has the space to live and breathe free.”
BACKGROUND
In March 2026, Senators Budd and Coons led a bipartisan coalition in introducing legislation to reauthorize USCIRF through FY2028.
- The International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, as amended by the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, declared U.S. policy to condemn violations of religious freedom and to promote the inalienable right to freedom of religion around the world. IRFA also established USCIRF as a bipartisan, independent commission charged with monitoring conditions for religious freedom worldwide.
- USCIRF’s 2026 Annual Report recommended that China, Iran, Russia, Nigeria, and Cuba, among other countries, be designated as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs) for international religious freedom.
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