{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/07/slotkin-cruz-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-protect-houses-of-worship/", "Slotkin, Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Protect Houses of Worship", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Elissa Slotkin", "S001208", "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "slotkin", "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and U.S. Representatives Brad Knott (R-NC) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) introduced the Right to Worship Act.The bill restricts activity that knowingly disrupts or impedes access to scheduled religious services within 100 feet of the entrance to a house of worship during that time.\n\nThe legislation comes as attacks on places of worships are on the rise across the country. The bill would ban activity that \u201cmeaningfully interferes with the ability of people to participate in the scheduled religious service, to the extent that the conduct causes a substantial interruption to the service\u2019s normal operation\u201d or \u201cunreasonably hinders or deters a person from entering a house of worship, or threatens or intimidates a person, in a manner that prevents participation at a scheduled religious service.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo one should ever fear going to their house of worship. Period,\u201d said Senator Slotkin. \u201cThe Right to Worship Act prohibits disruptive conduct, within 100 feet of a religious institution, that\u2019s used to threaten or impede access. I look forward to working with my colleagues on getting this important piece of bipartisan legislation passed.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe First Amendment guarantees every American the right to freely exercise their faith, and Congress has a duty to ensure that guarantee is met,\u201d said Senator Cruz. \u201cIn recent years, we have seen organized acts of hate meant to disrupt and deny that right, which have been untenably defended as speech. That is why I am introducing the Right to Worship Act, and I urge my colleagues to support it.\u201d\n\nThe Right to Worship Act is also endorsed by 12 groups including:\n\nADL (Anti-Defamation League)\n\nAgudath Israel of America\n\nAmerican Jewish Committee (AJC)\n\nBAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha\n\nCoalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA)\n\nHadassah, The Women\u2019s Zionist Organization of America\n\nHindu American Foundation\n\nIslamic Society of North America (ISNA)\n\nJewish Federations of North America\n\nUJA-Federation of New York\n\nUnion of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (\u201cOrthodox Union\u201d)\n\nUNITED SIKHS\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/07/slotkin-cruz-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-protect-houses-of-worship/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8976641111075878, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}