The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on the First Amendment Defence Act on July 12, a bill two US archbishops said would provide "a measure of protection for religious freedom at the federal level."

The legislation was introduced on June 17 by Representative Raul Labrador, Idaho. The same day Senator Mike Lee, Utah, introduced the measure in the Senate.

The day of the hearing Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore issued a joint statement urging support for the measure. They are, respectively, chairmen of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defence of Marriage and the bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty.