A Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty presented 12 recommendations to President Donald Trump on Friday, 27 June, calling for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment and broader legal protections for Americans practising their faith. The proposals follow seven months of hearings involving 103 witnesses, making it one of the most extensive federal reviews of religious freedom in recent years.

Key Recommendations

Commission Vice Chairman Ben Carson outlined the panel's priorities, which include stronger enforcement against anti-Semitism, legal shields for religious Americans facing government-initiated litigation, and the outright repeal of the Johnson Amendment — the 1954 tax-code provision that bars tax-exempt organisations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

'Combat anti-Semitism through enforcement of civil rights laws; litigation of credible allegations of anti-Semitic discrimination and violence and civic education; protect religious Americans from government led litigation targeting their free exercise; repeal the Johnson Amendment,' Carson said.

The commission also called on the Department of War to streamline religious accommodation procedures for military personnel and to restore retirement, health insurance, pensions, and other benefits for service members who lost employment over religious objections to Covid vaccines.

Honouring Religious Liberty Defenders

Among the more symbolic proposals is the creation of a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and First Freedom Hero Awards to recognise Americans who defend constitutional religious freedoms. 'Honor the courage of religious liberty heroes through creating a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and First Freedom Hero Awards to recognise Americans who stand up for religious freedom and play an indispensable role in protecting citizens' constitutional rights,' Carson said.

What the Administration Said

Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the report as a starting point rather than a conclusion. 'We're not here saying, you know, we're done. We're here saying there's a lot of work left to do,' he said, adding that the Justice Department and the White House would work together to advance the panel's proposals.

President Trump pledged to study the report and pursue implementation. 'We're going to bring religion back even stronger,' he said. 'They've made some very strong recommendations, and now we have to convince people to adhere by those regulations.'

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, also a commission member, stressed the urgency of the anti-Semitism recommendations, noting that New York's Jewish community faced 'a lot of threats' and that 'it's a scary time in New York right now.'

Background and Broader Context

Calls to repeal the Johnson Amendment have been a recurring feature of conservative religious-liberty advocacy since the 1990s, and Trump raised the issue during his first term without securing legislative action. The amendment's repeal would require an act of Congress, meaning the commission's recommendation alone carries no legal force. Critics have long argued that repeal would effectively allow houses of worship to function as political vehicles while retaining their tax-exempt status — a concern that civil liberties groups are expected to renew in response to this latest push.

This comes amid a broader pattern of the Trump administration using executive-level bodies to signal legislative priorities it cannot unilaterally enact. Whether the 12 recommendations translate into concrete policy will depend on Congressional appetite — and that remains uncertain.