Dear Mr. President:
We write to you as national leaders to express our support for the reauthorization of the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom as it has been configured since its inception and to
express our concern about a recent legislative proposal (HR 2867) that would significantly reduce the
number of Commissioners appointed to the Commission from 9 to 5. In addition, we would ask the
Congress to restore the full funding of the Commission, or if cuts need to be made, to ensure it has the
resources to do its work. We do not believe the current House proposal provides those levels.
It is essential that the Administration recognize the importance of maintaining a Commission that
reflects the diversity of America’s religious communities. In particular, we are concerned that a
reduction in the number of Commissioners could result in the exclusion of voices from minority
religious communities. These Commissioners advise the Administration and Congress on critical issues
of international religious freedom that, in turn, affect diverse religious communities worldwide. The
Commission is more productive in its current form and more able over the years to have its
membership drawn from diverse communities than it would were it reduced in size.
