Get the military's most comprehensive news and information every morning. “He is not willing to make a commitment that he will not engage in conflicts of interest for the company for which he was a lobbyist,” she said. It’s been seven months since a Senate-confirmed secretary of defense has presided over the Pentagon. Lastly, Warren asked Esper if he would commit to waiting at least four years before taking a job with Raytheon or another defense contractor after his service in the government concludes. The meeting that will take place between the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries will focus on bolstering close ties amid an ongoing conflict with China. Early Turnout Is Huge. Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years In Prison, As Trump Declares Surrender to the Coronavirus, GOP-led Senate Punts on Pandemic Relief, See Pre-Fame Sebastian Bach, Zakk Wylde Jam on Led Zeppelin at a 1987 Wedding, Five Exchanges That Defined the Final Debate of 2020, A Few Things to Keep in Mind as Trump Attacks Hunter Biden, hasn’t had much of a problem working its tentacles into the Trump administration. This isn’t likely to be the case for much longer, as the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to confirm Mark Esper to the position soon, possibly by the end of the week. In May, for example, 20 lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper arguing that senior military leaders “continue to violate the religious liberty” of chaplains in the military. The president officially conferred the nomination to Esper on Monday.

In one case, military chaplains shared faith-based videos on their brigade’s Facebook page, but the videos were removed after a complaint from the MRFF. In May, Warren introduced legislation that would make such a quick transition illegal for former Defense Department officials. The Pentagon has faced increased pressure recently to update its religious liberty policies.

“So it’s not to say that our work is done,” Berry said. Additionally, he said, the “hard work” is just beginning to ensure that commanders, JAGs and chaplains are trained so they’re up to speed on what the law says.

Conservative Republican lawmakers and First Liberty have issued a series of letters over the past year, urging the Defense Department to take action.

If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. “Indeed, MRFF will never allow this brand-new regulatory provision to illicitly buttress the already repugnant and omnipresent efforts of the fundamentalist Christian religious right from perpetuating its pervasive and pernicious pattern and practice of forcing its weaponized version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ upon otherwise defenseless military subordinates,” Weinstein said in a statement to Military Times.

Elizabeth Warren, Mark Esper.

In May, for example, 20 lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper arguing that senior military leaders “continue to violate the religious liberty” of chaplains in the military. Specifically, Weinstein slammed the incorporation of RFRA and argued that it is the “sick epitome of the right-wing Christians' tortured view of the First Amendment’s religion clauses.” He argued those who back RFRA fail to recognize the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause that bars the government from making any law regarding an establishment of religion. But Esper recently wrote in a memo that he can obtain a waiver to participate in matters that “directly and predictably” affect Raytheon’s finances. Sign up for the Early Bird Brief - a daily roundup of military and defense news stories from around the globe. “Service members don’t lose their religious freedom by virtue of being in the military,” Mike Berry, general counsel for First Liberty Institute, told Military Times. pic.twitter.com/iu1Chu17ie, “The American people deserve to know that you’re making decisions in our country’s best security interests, not in your own financial interests,” Warren concluded. © Copyright 2020 Rolling Stone, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper raising concerns about the Department of Defense's (DOD) overt religious discrimination, specifically pointing to the DOD's decision to remove Lt. Col. Lorenzen as a presenter for the U.S. Marine Corps' annual training simply because he is a religious individual. It establishes Department of Defense policy “in furtherance of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment” and states that DoD components will “accommodate individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs” ― provided there are no adverse impacts on military readiness and unit cohesion.

But Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, argued that those who serve in the military are under a different standard than their civilian counterparts. Does The Times of Israel give you valuable insight into Israel and the Jewish world? The following day, Esper testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, where another entry on his resume was pulled into the spotlight: the seven years he spent as the top lobbyist for Raytheon, the defense contractor that does billions of dollars of business with the government every year.

By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Early Bird Brief. The law states that “governments shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion.”, An exception is made if it can be demonstrated that the limitation is in “furtherance of a compelling governmental interest” and “is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”.

Mark Esper, Trump's Defense Secretary pick and former top Raytheon lobbyist, declined to recuse himself dealing with his former employer. Mark Esper, Trump's Defense Secretary pick … “So in other words, this regulation is not breaking new ground at all in terms of the law, right? Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate who served in the service for more than 10 years, argued this would encourage military superiors to proselytize their subordinates and press lower-ranking service members to adopt their superior’s faith or worldview concepts, or suffer career damaging fallout. In particular, they pointed to three recent cases where they argued the Army restricted the religious liberty rights of chaplains and service members. “While the members of the military are not excluded from the protection granted by the First Amendment, the different character of the military community and of the military mission requires a different application of those protections,” the Supreme Court wrote. The law prohibits Esper from taking any action that would affect Raytheon’s “ability or willingness” hand over the money. For as little as $6/month, you will: © 2020 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved, Justice minister compares Netanyahu secrecy on F-35s to submarine graft case, Several critics see echoes of scandal in which government allegedly secretly okayed sale of advanced arms to Egypt in newest affair, as PM is accused of hiding talks with US, UAE, Netanyahu, Gantz trade accusations about alleged secret F-35 talks, After Israel agrees to not oppose US supply of the stealth fighter jet to UAE, defense minister accuses PM of hiding weapons deals from defense officials; Netanyahu denies it, Gantz accuses Netanyahu of hiding UAE F-35 talks from Israeli defense officials, Accusations come just after Israel says it will not object to US sale of ‘certain weapon systems’ to the Gulf nation in exchange for receiving substantial military upgrades, In sharp about-face, Netanyahu, Gantz approve US sale of F-35s to UAE, Netanyahu says he’s rescinded his objections to sale of ‘certain weapons systems,’ after US vows to upgrade Israel’s arsenal to maintain its regional military edge, Gantz touts ‘major leap’ for Israeli security as US re-ups military edge promise, US defense secretary signs agreement to honor existing commitment to Jewish state’s military superiority amid concerns over sale of F-35 fighter jets to UAE, Gantz heads to US for ‘security meeting’ with Pentagon chief, Discussions likely to focus on proposed sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates as defense minister makes second trip to the US in a month, US defense chief in Kuwait after death of emir, New Kuwaiti leader thanks Mark Esper for condolences, expresses concern over Trump’s health, Expecting F-35 deal in weeks, Israel seeks downgraded jet for UAE — report, TV report says Jerusalem officials believe more American arms deals with Middle East states could be in the cards, Air force chief: UAE F-35 sale could be ‘less optimal’ for Israel in long term, Amiram Norkin says balance in region may be upset by the sale but the US is committed to maintaining Israel’s military edge, US ambassador: It will take 6-7 years for UAE to get F-35 jets, Friedman appears to denounce critics of planned sale, which Israeli defense officials fear could harm Israel’s military edge, saying matter is being addressed by ‘professionals’, Pentagon head tells Gantz US will protect Israeli edge, as F-35 sale zooms ahead, Mark Esper assures defense minister, on visit to Washington, that maintaining Israeli military superiority in region a ‘cornerstone’ of defense relationship, Top US general vows no role for military in election process, disputed vote, Trump’s repeated questioning of election’s validity has led to concern of potential chaos surrounding results; some have speculated army might be called on to get involved, Hearing for Trump Pentagon nominee axed over his anti-Islam remarks, Retired general Anthony Tata, who called Obama a ‘terrorist leader’ and referred to the former US president as a Muslim, continues to advise the defense secretary, US to bring 6,400 troops home from Germany, move 5,600 to other countries, Pentagon plan that will cost billions, take years to implement, spurred on by Trump complaints that Germans not ‘paying their bills’, Gantz speaks to US defense chief Esper on Iranian threat, ‘regional concerns’, First phone call between defense minister and his American counterpart also addresses Israeli arms purchases, Already a member? With so many of our purchases and transactions made online and through phone apps, consumers end up with a lot of logins and online accounts - with a lot of personal information attached to them. Esper sat on that council while still with Raytheon, and in July 2017 was announced as the president’s nominee to take over as secretary of the Army. He previously served as the 23rd United States secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019. Esper wasn’t interested. The Pentagon’s updated guidance has received backlash from groups such as the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, whose founder and president, Mikey Weinstein, argues that the revised regulation will “obliterate the wall of separation between church and state in our military.” Others, like First Liberty, a conservative legal firm that advocates for religious liberty and First Amendment rights, have lauded it as a “great victory for America’s brave service members” and claim it reflects the principles included in President Donald Trump’s 2017 executive order “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.”, “This clarifies what the Constitution and federal law already says and applies it to the DoD,” said Berry, who served on active duty in the Marine Corps for seven years and currently is a Marine Corps reservist.