Question

Which statements describe the reasons why the Supreme Court found the RFRA to be unconstitutional? Check all that apply.

1 Congress had not taken strong enough action to interpret the First Amendment.
2 Congress had changed the meaning of the First Amendment, rather than enforcing it.
3 Congress had given states too much freedom to interpret the First Amendment.
4 Congress had created a law that was not proportional to the problem it was fixing.
5 Congress had taken away states’ rights by passing the RFRA.

Answer 1

THE ANSWER IS

"B" Congress had changed the meaning of the First Amendment, rather than enforcing it.

"D" Congress had created a law that was not proportional to the problem it was fixing.

"E" Congress had taken away states’ rights by passing the RFRA.

Answer 2

The correct options are:

• Congress had changed the meaning of the First Amendment, rather than enforcing it.
• Congress had created a law that was not proportional to the problem it was fixing.
• Congress had taken away states’ rights by passing the RFRA.

The federal Religious Restoration Act of 1993, approved almost unanimously by Congress and signed by then President Bill Clinton. This law originally intended to apply to both federal and state government actions, the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that it be applied only federally. Subsequently, 19 states passed their own versions of the law, explicitly applying it as a state-level law.