In this powerful episode of Hot Spots with Kay Brown, policy advisor Maggie Siddiqi from the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joins to unpack the alarming rise of Christian nationalism and its connection to the new federal private school voucher program buried in last summer’s Big Ugly Bill. Siddiqi explains how this unprecedented law diverts billions in public funds away from public schools and into private—often religious—institutions, undermining both education equity and religious liberty. She reveals how this legislation fits into a decades-long Christian nationalist strategy to reshape U.S. culture and politics by steering education and leadership pipelines. With implementation set for 2027, Siddiqi details what’s at stake, the massive potential tax impact, and how states and citizens can still act to stop it. This episode exposes how taxpayer dollars could be weaponized against democracy itself and why defending public education is crucial for protecting freedom for all.

Takeaways:

• The new federal school voucher law diverts billions from public to private religious schools.
• Public funding for religious education threatens church–state separation and religious liberty.
• Vouchers primarily benefit families already in private schools, not new students.
• The program offers a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to donors, an unprecedented federal incentive.
• Implementation begins in 2027, but states can choose to opt in or out.
• There’s no cap on the program’s cost, estimated to exceed $100 billion annually.
• Christian nationalism has fueled decades-long efforts to influence education and government.
• Protecting public education is essential to maintaining democracy and equal opportunity.

#HotSpotsPodcast #KayBrown #UnitedAmericaNetwork #ChristianNationalism #PublicEducation #SchoolVouchers #ReligiousLiberty #ChurchStateSeparation #EducationEquity #Democracy #FaithFreedom #MaggieSiddiqi #BaptistJointCommittee #ChristianRight #FederalPolicy #BigUglyBill #EducationJustice #TaxCredits #FaithAndPolitics #ProtectPublicSchools