Washington-- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today congratulated Portland High School senior Caitlin Dunn on being named a finalist in the Council for America's "First Freedom" essay contest. Caitlin was recognized by the Council for America's First Freedom organization, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the understanding of religious freedom in communities worldwide, for her essay about religious freedom and how it has changed American society.

In his letter congratulating Caitlin, Senator Bayh stressed the importance of fundamental freedoms saying, "Today more than ever we must ensure that we do not compromise the civil rights that our forefathers fought so hard to instill. Caitlin's research and essay about religious freedom demonstrates the importance of appreciating the freedoms of our democracy by questioning them and learning more about their origins."

In her essay, which was ranked in the top 10 out of 2,500 competing essays, Caitlin cited several reasons why the freedom of religion must be continually brought to the forefront of American society. She discussed on the importance of such freedoms and the need for national appreciation of the sacrifices that have been made to ensure their existence. Senator Bayh has continually supported the spread of religious freedom in America and around the world.

In early 2005, Bayh joined a bipartisan letter asking the State Department to take action against North Korea's human rights violations, including violations against the right to freedom of religion. In June, 2004 Senator Bayh co-sponsored the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which helped strengthen federal laws requiring employers to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee's religious needs.

###