Andy Biggs: “During his confirmation hearing to become President Trump's Deputy Director for the Office of Management and Budget…”

“During his confirmation hearing to become President Trump's Deputy Director for the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought faced inappropriate and unconstitutional lines of questioning from two of the Budget Committee's Democratic Senators directly relating to his Christian faith. A Senator took direct issue with an article Mr. Vought wrote last year describing a core tenet of the Christian faith that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. After attempting to twist that belief into a claim that Mr. Vought is hateful and discriminatory toward non-Christians, Senator Sanders said: ``This nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about. I will vote `no.''' Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vought's qualifications are excellent. To take the view of Senator Sanders that is clearly tied to a disagreement over a religious tenet is discriminatory in and of itself. Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution states ``no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.'' Mr. Vought's Christian faith should not have been the subject of this harsh questioning, and no excuse should ever justify a public official putting someone's faith on trial. We should not ignore this episode but, rather, stand in defense of Mr. Vought's right to live his faith as we defend the religious freedom of all Americans. ____________________”