Faith groups urge passage of bipartisan bill that would protect houses of worship from protest

Over 30 Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and other faith groups convened on Capitol Hill to advocate for the Right to Worship Act. This bipartisan bill, sponsored by Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Brad Knott (R-N.C.), aims to protect religious services from protest interference by making it unlawful to knowingly disrupt a scheduled service within 100 feet of a house of worship entrance, punishable by a civil fine. The legislation also allows disrupted worshippers to sue in court. Rep. Suozzi stated, “This bill works very hard to balance our First Amendment constitutional rights between the right to free speech and the right to worship.”

• Jewish groups have particularly sought these protections following anti-Israel protests targeting synagogues, especially during events promoting Jewish emigration to Israel.
• The bill is designed to be narrow, focusing on intentional disruption rather than peaceful protest, as explained by Rep. Knott.
• While the House entered recess, delaying a vote, sponsors hope for Senate action on the companion bill, sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).
• Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, highlighted the significant security costs, stating, “Over $250,000 per synagogue is being spent on average across the United States for physical security needs.”