The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), under the Southern Baptist Convention, has addressed a letter to the Trump transition team, advocating for significant shifts in pro-life and religious liberty policies implemented during the Biden administration.
In a letter sent on November 12, ERLC President Brent Leatherwood outlined five key policy actions that align with the values of Southern Baptists and warrant urgent attention during President Trump's first 100 days in office.
The correspondence, reported by Baptist Press, was addressed to Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, appointed by the president-elect to lead the transition team.
The ERLC has outlined five key requests: to reinforce policies that ensure government funds do not support abortions; to withhold funding from both domestic and international abortion providers; to repeal President Joe Biden’s executive order mandating federal agencies to adopt radical gender and sexuality policies; to rescind the anti-life, anti-religious liberty, and pro-gender ideology policies enacted under the Biden administration; and to reverse actions that have expanded access to the abortion pill.
The ERLC emphasizes that government funds should not be used to support abortions. In March, the commission celebrated the inclusion of the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life provisions in the federal budget, which ran until September 30. According to the ERLC, Trump’s initial term “continually reaffirmed” these provisions to prevent tax dollars from funding abortions.
The ERLC advocates for the preservation of Title X policies that prohibit government-funded entities from performing or advising on abortions, including the reinstatement of the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy—a policy originally instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, which Biden rescinded shortly after taking office.
On his first day in office in January 2021, Biden signed 17 executive orders, including one aimed at ending discrimination based on gender identity and sexuality within federal agencies. The ERLC expressed concern at the time, stating that Biden’s order “dramatically expands the scope” of a prior Supreme Court decision, which broadened the definition of “sex” in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include homosexual and transgender employees.
The ERLC urged the incoming Trump administration to reverse the “harmful” directive, asserting that the new policies infringe on the religious liberty of individuals who support biblical views of sexuality and gender.
"Such rulemaking was specifically crafted to circumvent the religious beliefs and conscience protections of millions of Americans regarding gender and sexuality, misuse taxpayer funds for 'gender transitions,' and promote radical gender ideology, even amongst children. By undoing this harmful executive order, President Trump will reassure millions of Americans that they will not be targeted by the federal government simply for believing in biological realities or holding to their religious convictions," Leatherwood wrote.
The ERLC criticized Biden administration policies that undermine parental responsibilities in educating children about sexuality, specifically pointing out a rule change in the Affordable Care Act that may compel medical professionals to provide or cover “gender transition services” contrary to their “moral, religious, and professional judgment.”
Additionally, the ERLC requested that Trump’s team undo rules that redefine Title IX to incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity. The ERLC also hopes for a ban on the abortion pill and urges the Trump administration to reverse actions that jeopardize preborn lives and women's health and safety.