US legislators have been criticised for removing a religious freedom amendment from a bill after lobbying from secular groups. At the heart of the row was the Defence Authorisations Bill, which was being held up amid wrangles between Democrats and Republicans over the inclusion of the Russell Amendment, a device to prevent religious groups or charities being sanctioned for operating according to Christian principles. Democrats threatened to hold up the defence legislation unless the Russell element was dropped, a move backed by groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union. Reacting to the removal of Russell, Kristina Arriaga, executive director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said: “Because Congress ducked this important issue, more service providers will be unable to continue offering their critical services, services that are sometimes only offered by religious groups. It is the refugees, homeless, trafficking victims, veterans, and other vulnerable populations who will suffer the most from Congress’s choice to prioritise political expediency over principled governance.”