Congressional Freethought Caucus

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The Congressional Freethought Caucus is a group in the U.S. House of Representatives founded on April 25, 2018. It promotes policy based on reason and science and defends the secular character of government. The caucus is co-chaired by Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin.

Huffman announced the caucus at a Secular Coalition for America awards dinner in Washington, DC. The coalition called the move a milestone for nonreligious Americans who have been underrepresented in politics. The caucus aims to reduce religious influence in policymaking and to support science-based responses to issues like climate change and gun violence. Huffman identifies as a humanist, but the caucus welcomes religious members who support science and secular government.

The caucus was started by Huffman, Raskin, Jerry McNerney, and Dan Kildee and was soon joined by Pramila Jayapal. The American Humanist Association and the Center for Freethought Equality helped establish it. Historians have noted its historic nature and its Enlightenment-era roots, while acknowledging the challenge of being nonreligious in politics. The caucus opposed Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.

Membership has grown, with new members joining in September 2025 and January 2026. All current members caucus with the Democratic Party; in the 119th Congress there were about 34 declared members from many states. The Freethought Equality Fund political action committee, planned with input from Ron Millar, aims to push for climate action, access to contraception and abortion, and to maintain the Johnson Amendment, which bars tax-exempt nonprofits from endorsing political candidates.