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Eric Kniffin
Fellow
Eric Kniffin is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he works on a range of initiatives to protect and strengthen religious liberty as part of EPPC’s Administrative State Accountability Project.
Eric Kniffin is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he works on a range of initiatives to protect and strengthen religious liberty as part of EPPC’s Administrative State Accountability Project.
Kniffin has been an attorney focusing on religious liberty for almost 20 years. As an attorney in Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice during the George W. Bush Administration, he helped enforce the Fair Housing Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons (CRIPA), and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). As legal counsel at the Becket Fund, he contributed to landmark religious liberty decisions including Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
In private practice, Kniffin has protected hundreds of religious employers from the HHS contraception and abortifacient mandate and the HHS gender transition mandate. He has represented the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Knights of Columbus, and the Assemblies of God, among others, in amicus briefs before the Supreme Court. His work helping religious organizations understand, maximize, and defend their religious liberties has made him a nationally recognized expert in the field.
Kniffin is a sought-after commentator on religious liberty issues and has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Huffington Post, National Catholic Register, Inside Higher Ed, and Washington Times, and has spoken regularly for The Federalist Society and The Heritage Foundation.
Kniffin holds a B.A. in philosophy from Wheaton College and received a M.A. in theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary before earning his J.D. at Notre Dame Law School. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Bonnie, and their seven children.
EPPC Scholar Meets with Federal Officials to Oppose New Nondiscrimination Requirements for HHS Grant Programs
Eric Kniffin
On Monday, April 1, 2024, EPPC scholar Eric Kniffin met with government officials in the Executive Office of the President…
PDF / April 1, 2024
EPPC Scholars Submit Comment Opposing State Department Proposed Rules Imposing Expansive Nondiscrimination Requirements in Foreign…
Rachel N. Morrison
On March 19, 2024, EPPC scholars Rachel N. Morrison and Eric Kniffin submitted a public comment opposing two proposed rules by the…
PDF / March 19, 2024
EPPC Scholars Submit Comment Opposing Indian Health Service Proposed Abortion Funding Rule
Rachel N. Morrison
On March 8, 2024, EPPC scholars Rachel N. Morrison, Eric Kniffin, and Natalie Dodson submitted a public comment opposing a…
PDF / March 12, 2024
EPPC Scholars Meet with Federal Officials to Highlight Problems with Confusing HHS HIPAA Privacy Rule…
Eric Kniffin
On Wednesday, February 28, EPPC scholars Eric Kniffin and Natalie Dodson met with federal government officials to opposed Health and…
PDF / March 4, 2024
EPPC Scholars Meet with Federal Officials to Oppose Rule Undermining Title IX
Rachel N. Morrison
On Thursday, February 29, 2024, EPPC scholars Rachel N. Morrison and Eric Kniffin met with government officials in the Executive Office…
PDF / February 29, 2024
HHS Issues Final Rule on Conscience Rights in Healthcare
Rachel N. Morrison
As proposed, the 2024 Rule formally rescinds the Trump-era 2019 Rule and replaces the 2011 Rule.
Articles
The Federalist Society / January 31, 2024
EPPC Scholars Comment on EEOC Proposed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Regulations
EPPC
We are deeply committed to supporting pregnant women, mothers, and their unborn children, including in the workplace.
PDF / October 11, 2023
EPPC Scholars Submit Comment Opposing HHS’s Proposed HHS Grants Rule
EPPC
The scholars urged HHS to withdraw the proposal.
PDF / September 12, 2023
EPPC Scholars Meet with Federal Officials to Discuss Abortion Concerns in the Anticipated Pregnant Workers…
Eric Kniffin
The Supreme Court’s recent emphasis on the major questions doctrine emphasizes the legal significance of Congress decision, months after this Administration declared its intention to protect as broadly as possible women’s ability to terminate their unborn children, not to specifically protect abortion in this law.
PDF / July 10, 2023
EPPC Scholars Meet with Federal Officials to Discuss Concerns over Anticipated Health and Humans Services…
Eric Kniffin
When selecting service providers for government programs, the government must treat religious and secular providers the same.
PDF / June 21, 2023