re: "Bernie Sanders's Religious Test for Christians in Public Office" - The Atlantic

quote:

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Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

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This only applies to the government. Vought worked for a private school when he took that action. Private entities are not bound by that provision in the Constitution, so Vought was within his rights to demand such a test.

However, Bernie is within his rights to question the action during a confirmation hearing and point out that if Vought repeated his past conduct while working for the governor that such actions would violate the Constitution. If Bernie is concerned that Vought may actually do so if confirmed, then Bernie is well within his rights to vote against confirming Vought.

While I think Bernie's concerns are poorly founded, they are not without some precedent and are perfectly within Senator Sanders's rights to hold and govern by. Bernie is not instituting a religious test, he is rejecting someone who in the past administered such a test, because if that someone were to be confirmed to his appointed post and repeat that behavior, that someone would be acting unethically and illegally.