WASHINGTON, D.C. — On a bright Wednesday morning outside the U.S. Capitol, leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Christian and other communities stood shoulder to shoulder with members of both parties to make one shared argument: the freedom to worship belongs to every American, and it should not require courage to exercise it.

The American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) joined Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Rep. Brad Knott (R-NC) at the September 16 press conference in support of the bipartisan, bicameral Right to Worship Act. Organisations from across the faith spectrum, more than two dozen by one account, gathered behind the podium.

The message was simple, and it was echoed by the lawmakers who lead the bill. Suozzi described the goal as protecting both free speech and the freedom to worship, saying he was proud to lead this bipartisan and bicameral Right to Worship Act. Knott framed it as a constitutional question, warning that without worship there is no First Amendment.

What the bill would do

The Right to Worship Act (H.R. 10052 in the House, S. 5289 in the Senate) would create a 100-foot buffer zone around houses of worship while services are under way. Within that zone, it would be unlawful to knowingly hinder, deter, threaten or intimidate people trying to enter, and violations would carry civil fines.

Its sponsors describe it as content-neutral. It targets how people behave, meaning volume, duration and effect on worshippers, not what they say. Peaceful protest outside the buffer zone remains protected, and congregations are not required to publish their service times.

Why a multifaith coalition showed up

Supporters stress that the concern is not confined to one tradition. Suozzi has said that the threat to the freedom to worship is not unique to any one faith or congregation, and the roster at the Capitol reflected that. The endorsing organisations include Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and evangelical Christian groups.

From churches and synagogues to mosques, mandirs, and gurdwaras, the freedom to worship is a fundamental right that belongs to every American.

From the SACRED Act to a two-chamber bill

The Right to Worship Act builds on the earlier SACRED Act that Suozzi introduced in the House in April. That bill focused on criminal penalties for intimidation within 100 feet of a house of worship. The newer legislation, according to Suozzi’s office, adds civil fines for other disruptive conduct that interferes with services, and it now has a Senate companion from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

Protecting speech and worship together

Because the bill touches the boundary between protest and prayer, its authors have worked to show where the line falls. The guide below sets out, in plain terms, what the legislation covers and what it leaves alone.

For AMMWEC and its coalition partners, the point is practical as much as principled. Worshippers in every tradition want to walk through their doors on a Friday, a Saturday or a Sunday without pushing through a crowd. They say that is what the bill is meant to secure.

Both bills now await action in their respective chambers. Supporters at the Capitol urged Congress to move quickly.