CAIR, in a statement by Robert McCaw, cites the Constitution's ban on religious tests in response to Moreno's remarks
Council on American-Islamic RelationsMuslim civil rights organization, in a statement by Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw
CAIR, in a statement by Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, says Article VI bars religious tests for public office and that using faith to disqualify candidates is a direct assault on constitutional guardrails.
“Article VI of the Constitution is unequivocal: there is no religious test for public office. Imposing sectarian litmus tests to disqualify candidates based on their faith is a direct assault on the pluralistic values and constitutional guardrails that define our democratic republic.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
At a Republican rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, on October 28, 2026, Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio said Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is Muslim, should be nowhere near Washington. He asked whether El-Sayed understands that "our rights come from God Almighty" and that "Jesus came here for our salvation," and said Republican nominee Mike Rogers would beat him on Tuesday. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on every senator to reaffirm that the Constitution bars religious tests for public office. Interfaith Alliance said Moreno's comments were an attack on Muslims and on all non-Christian Americans. On MS NOW, Joe Scarborough and Steve Benen also cited the Constitution in criticizing the remarks. We did not find a public response from Moreno to the criticism as of November 1, 2026.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
CAIR's October 29, 2026 statement, published as the description of a video on CAIR's national YouTube channel. The video plays a clip of Moreno's remark, and the description carries the full statement by CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.
Before the quotation
CAIR's October 29 statement says Moreno declared that anyone wishing to serve in the Senate must believe that Jesus came here for our salvation, and it calls on all senators to reaffirm that there is no religious test for public office. McCaw opens by saying the United States was founded on religious freedom for all Americans.
After the quotation
McCaw goes on to call Moreno's remarks bigoted against Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists and others, and says every senator should renounce them.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Moreno's remark that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, CAIR responds by citing the Constitution's ban on religious tests, calls the remarks bigoted and un-American, and asks every senator to renounce them.
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More from this case
Read the full caseSteve Benen calls the idea of disqualifying non-Christians from Congress plainly insane
“the idea that they should be disqualified from congressional service because of their beliefs is plainly insane.”Read statement
Interfaith Alliance, in a statement by Paul Raushenbush, says Moreno's comments attack Muslims and all non-Christian Americans
Interfaith Alliance
“The US Constitution explicitly bars religious tests for public office. Sen. Moreno swore an oath to uphold that US Constitution, but clearly he has not read it - or does not agree with it. The naked Christian nationalism of his comments last night represent an attack on Muslims and on all non-Christian Americans.”Read statement
Joe Scarborough tells Moreno to read the First Amendment
“Just read the first phrase of the First Amendment, the Constitution of the United States First Amendment, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "CAIR, in a statement by Robert McCaw, cites the Constitution's ban on religious tests in response to Moreno's remarks". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/7634-cair-in-a-statement-by-government-affairs-director