3 Things You Should Know About the New International Religious Freedom Bill

By Brandon Showalter, Opinion writer and social commentator Friday, December 16, 2016

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) introducing Robert P. George at the Leland Award Lecture on Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C., Dec. 13, 2013. | (Photo: The Christian Post/Napp Nazworth)

Congress has passed an international religious freedom bill named after a recently retired Congressman who is a fervent advocate for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities around the world.

The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, who represented Virginia's 10th Congressional district since 1981 and is a devout Presbyterian, retired last year. He is a widely respected human rights defender and champion of religious minorities and prisoners of conscience in oppressive states.

"18 years ago, [Frank Wolf] had the foresight to make advancing the right to religious freedom a high U.S. foreign policy priority. It is largely because of his efforts that religious freedom is taken seriously as a foreign policy issue. I had the distinct honor and pleasure of working with him for over thirty years. This bill is a fitting tribute to his work and service to our great nation," said lead co-sponsor of the bill Congressman Chris Smith on his website Monday.