U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was created in 1998 through the International Religious Freedom Act. USCIRF is supposed to be an “independent, bipartisan, federal commission” that uses international law and treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to monitor violations of religious freedom around the world. But under the Trump administration, the Commission — comprised of nine commissioners who are appointed by the president and congressional leadership of both parties — has been stacked with six overtly political extremists. These commissioners can now use their USCIRF positions to peddle their hateful views and influence global anti-abortion, discriminatory policies. These USCIRF appointments are in line with the Trump administration’s efforts to limit human rights on the world stage through the State Department and the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations.