Contact: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, 866-FRC-NEWS or 866-372-6397; both with Family Research Council 

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today, Congressman Sean Maloney (D-NY) offered an amendment that would use the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, as a vehicle to undermine religious hiring protections that were included in yesterday's House-passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. This vote failed by one vote, 212-213, with 29 Republicans voting 'yea.' Family Research Council opposed and scored the amendment because it authorizes the government to punish faith-based organizations and entities that operate consistent with their deeply held beliefs.

Family Research Council's David Christensen, Vice President of Government Affairs, released the following statement:

"Congress rejecting Rep. Sean Maloney's unfair and discriminatory amendment is a great victory for the freedom to believe. Last night, Congress passed the defense bill that preserved long-standing faith-based protections from assaults by Democrats who want the government to punish faith-based contractors, like the Salvation Army, that work and hire in accordance with their First Amendment rights. The Maloney amendment would have gutted these religious freedom protections and in turn would have caused faith-based contractors to lose contracts and likely cut jobs.

"Thousands of faith-based organizations and family-owned businesses contract with the federal government to offer amazing services to many American communities. Congress today rightly defeated this intolerance toward hard working Americans who do not want the government punishing them for what they believe. We applaud the rejection of the unfair and discriminatory Maloney amendment," Christensen concluded.