Congress calls for stronger U.S. push on global religious freedom
H.Res. 738 — Expressing concern regarding severe restrictions on religious freedom abroad. · Filed by J. Hill (R-AR) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 18, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This resolution expresses concern about severe restrictions on religious freedom in 12 countries (Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, and Uzbekistan) and urges the U.S. State Department to actively engage with these governments to promote religious freedom. It affirms the importance of U.S. diplomatic offices dedicated to monitoring religious persecution and antisemitism worldwide.
Why we flagged it
This is a non-binding congressional resolution expressing concern about religious persecution abroad and calling for diplomatic engagement. It contains no legislative mechanism, appropriations, or regulatory change—only a statement of values and a call for State Department action.
What the text implies
- Resolution may signal congressional pressure on the State Department to prioritize religious freedom in bilateral negotiations, potentially affecting trade, aid, and diplomatic relations with named countries.
- Naming specific countries on a religious freedom concern list may influence U.S. foreign aid allocation, sanctions policy, or visa/immigration decisions, though the resolution itself does not mandate these actions.
- The resolution affirms existing offices (Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism) without new funding or authority, but may increase political pressure to expand their mandate or resources.
Who it affects
The resolution advances a core democratic value—religious freedom—and calls for diplomatic engagement to protect persecuted minorities globally. U.S. citizens benefit from a foreign policy that prioritizes human rights and supports vulnerable populations abroad, strengthening America's moral authority and long-term strategic stability.
Named in the bill
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Department of State, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan — and 6 more
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 1 Republicans.
- Sep 18, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Foreign Affairs · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the full bill text on Jul 6, 2026; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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