Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., faced widespread backlash after expressing concerns about the concept of God-given rights during a Senate hearing, drawing sharp criticism from conservative lawmakers and civil liberties advocates. During a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Kaine questioned the idea that natural rights are derived from a Creator, warning that such beliefs are associated with theocratic regimes such as Iran. His remarks, shared in a viral clip, prompted a fierce reaction, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, calling the comments ‘dangerous’ and accusing Kaine of undermining the foundational principles of the United States.
Kaine was responding to the opening statement of Riley Barnes, a nominee for assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, who emphasized the role of divine creation in the nation’s founding. While Kaine expressed support for the idea of natural rights, he cautioned that different religious traditions might offer conflicting interpretations, leading to potential disagreements. Civil liberties attorney Laura Powell criticized the remarks as a rejection of the core values of the Declaration of Independence, arguing that the Founding Fathers fought to protect these principles.
Cruz highlighted the historical significance of the Declaration of Independence, quoting Thomas Jefferson’s words: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalien, and that the sole just purpose of Government is to secure these God-given rights for us.’ He argued that government does not create these rights but protects them, a stance that contradicted Kaine’s view that natural rights are subject to debate.
Other critics, including Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., criticized Kaine for distancing himself from the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, who played a central role in drafting the Declaration. Amy Swearer of the Heritage Foundation noted that the Founding Fathers fought and died for the belief that these rights are ‘sacred’ and inalienable. Beanie Geoghegan, co-founder of Freedom in Education, also echoed this sentiment, citing Alexander Hamilton’s assertion that these rights are ‘written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the Divinity itself.’