Defending Religious Freedom Around the World

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans held a hearing titled "Defending Religious Freedom Around the World" on February 5, 2026, focusing on the global crisis of religious persecution. The discussion highlighted severe repression in countries like China, Nigeria, Nicaragua, and Syria, with particular attention to the Chinese government's crackdown on independent Christian churches and the use of advanced surveillance technology to suppress faith communities. Witnesses and members expressed concern over the current U.S. administration's foreign assistance cuts to programs supporting religious freedom defenders and criticized the lack of timely release of the annual International Religious Freedom reports and country designations. The hearing underscored the strategic and moral imperative for the U.S. to lead in promoting religious freedom globally, including through targeted sanctions and support for vulnerable communities. The role of faith-based organizations in humanitarian aid was also emphasized, alongside calls for renewed and coordinated U.S. policy efforts to address religious persecution comprehensively.