The Department of Labor on Wednesday issued a request for information (RFI) seeking feedback from stakeholders and faith organizations on barriers that have limited their participation in Labor-funded programs.
The department said the goal is to ensure equal treatment, improve reasonable accommodations, and better engage qualified faith partners in delivering job training, employment support, and community services without infringing on religious liberty.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement to Newsmax that the move represents a clear shift in direction for the department.
"After years of neglect and even hostility toward faith-based organizations under the previous administration, the Department of Labor is reversing course," she said.
Chavez-DeRemer added, "Under President [Donald] Trump's leadership, we're making the Department of Labor faith-friendly again by ensuring religious organizations are treated equally, protected from discrimination, and empowered to help Americans gain the skills they need to secure mortgage-paying, in-demand jobs."
Department of Labor spokesman Hunter Lovell told Newsmax that faith organizations have long played a central role in helping Americans access opportunity and that coordinating the RFI with the department's Center for Faith is a key step in restoring their involvement.
The RFI asks faith organizations to identify any regulations, guidance, or policies that explicitly or implicitly discourage their participation in Labor-funded programs, including job training, workforce development, and employment services.
It also invites examples of how such barriers affect an organization's ability to deliver services.
The Trump administration established a faith office at the Department of Labor during Trump's first term to advance regulations protecting religious freedom and expand engagement with faith organizations.
The Biden administration eliminated that office and replaced it with a diversity, equity, and inclusion structure that inserted DEI language throughout department policies.
Early in Trump's second term, the Labor Department dissolved the DEI office, reversed its policies, and reestablished the Center for Faith.
The Center for Faith coordinates with the White House Faith Office and similar offices across federal agencies to promote religious freedom in the workplace, equalize access to federal grants for faith organizations, and support First Amendment religious liberty protections for employees and employers nationwide.
The center is led by a director, deputy director, and senior adviser who report directly to Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling.
Chavez-DeRemer also serves on the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias.
In late August, the Labor Department told faith-based organizations it is once again accepting applications for workplace grants.
The change was noted as part of the Trump administration's overall emphasis on faith, including the president's February executive order establishing the White House Faith Office.
In late July, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor issued a memorandum reminding federal agencies that Trump is committed to reaffirming "America's unique and beautiful tradition of religious liberty."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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