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Dr. Michael T. Goldstein, M.D., J.D., a board-certified ophthalmic surgeon with more than forty years of clinical experience and candidate for Congress in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District, today submitted formal testimony to the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission, the federal advisory body established by President Trump’s Executive Order on May 1, 2025, and chaired by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Vice Chair Dr. Ben Carson.
The 36-page submission—titled “Religious Liberty, Medical Conscience, and the Preservation of Medical and Religious Exemptions”—draws on Dr. Goldstein’s four decades of clinical practice in Connecticut and New York and addresses the systematic erosion of meaningful religious and medical exemption pathways within modern healthcare policy.
“As a physician who has practiced medicine for more than forty years, I have witnessed the progressive erosion of the rights that allow physicians to exercise independent clinical judgment and patients to live according to conscience,” Dr. Goldstein said. “This submission is my effort to ensure that the Commission has the perspective of a practicing clinician—not just policy analysts and administrators—as it prepares its report to the President.”
The testimony is being submitted in advance of the Commission’s March 16, 2026, hearing on religious liberty in healthcare and conscience protections, to be held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.—the institution founded by the Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, whose landmark Supreme Court case (Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, 2014) established one of the most significant religious liberty precedents in modern American law.
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE TESTIMONY
Personal Medical Exemption Experience: Dr. Goldstein documents his own experience during the COVID mandate period, when his medical exemption request—supported by documented specialist consultation and confirmed laboratory evidence of a hypercoagulable condition—was denied, his appeal was denied, and his hospital privileges were suspended.
March 11 Connecticut Legislative Hearing: The submission provides extensive analysis of the March 11, 2026 public hearing on Connecticut’s SB450 and HB5044, where more than 500 citizens registered to testify and thousands submitted written testimony. The hearing was capped at midnight by party-line procedural vote, preventing many citizens from speaking.
SB450 and the Retroactive Amendment of Connecticut’s RFRA: The testimony reveals that Senate Bill 450 was introduced at Attorney General William Tong’s request specifically to amend Connecticut’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act in order to eliminate the statutory basis for a pending lawsuit challenging the state’s 2021 repeal of religious vaccine exemptions—a case that the Connecticut Supreme Court allowed to proceed to trial in 2024.
Attorney Lindy Urso’s Legal Testimony: The submission includes testimony from Attorney Urso, who told the Committee: “This bill attempts to change the legal landscape while litigation is actively pending. That is deeply concerning from a constitutional perspective.” He further stated: “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act exists to protect minority religious beliefs from government overreach. If the state can simply carve out exceptions whenever it becomes inconvenient, the protection becomes meaningless.”
Physician Retaliation: The submission addresses the broader pattern of institutional retaliation against physicians, including California’s now-repealed AB 2098 (which sought to discipline physicians for COVID “misinformation”) and the systemic compliance pressures created by federal funding structures.
Policy Recommendations: The testimony offers seven formal recommendations to the Commission, including preserving meaningful exemption pathways, reviewing federal funding compliance structures, strengthening physician representation in policymaking, and protecting against institutional retaliation.
ABOUT DR. GOLDSTEIN
Dr. Michael T. Goldstein, M.D., J.D., is a board-certified ophthalmic surgeon who has practiced medicine for more than four decades in Connecticut and New York. He holds both a Doctor of Medicine and a Juris Doctor from SUNY Downstate School of Medicine, providing a unique dual perspective on the intersection of healthcare practice and healthcare law.
His professional leadership includes service as Past President and Chairman of the Board of the New York County Medical Society, Past President and Past Chair of the Alumni Fund of the Alumni Association of SUNY Downstate School of Medicine, and former member of the Board of Managers of Mount Sinai Health Partners. He has served on multiple hospital committees throughout his career.
In his community, Dr. Goldstein is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Sholom in Greenwich, Connecticut, a current member of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting (RTM), and a member of its Health and Human Services Committee.
Dr. Goldstein is a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District. His campaign focuses on healthcare policy reform, medical freedom, religious liberty, and ensuring that the voices of practicing physicians and ordinary citizens are represented in federal policymaking.
The opinions expressed by Dr. Goldstein are his own and do not represent the views of any organizations with which he is or has been associated.
Dr. Goldstein remains available to provide further testimony or to appear before the Commission. He may be contacted through his campaign website.
RESOURCES
Campaign Website: www.goldsteinforcongress.com
Religious Liberty Commission: www.justice.gov/religious-liberty-commission
Commission Upcoming Hearings: www.justice.gov/religious-liberty-commission/upcoming-hearings
MARCH 11 CONNECTICUT HEARING VIDEOS
Attorney Urso Testimony: https://youtu.be/tY6xsf5xMyY
Public Hearing Testimony: https://youtu.be/rnmn0_3Z9zg
Citizen Testimony: https://youtu.be/fkInvtOQMmI
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