The Congressional International Religious Freedom (IRF) Caucus is a bi-partisan group of nearly 60 members of the United States Congress who address religious persecution for people of any or no faith based on Article 18 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The IRF Caucus has always addressed religious freedom within the broader context of human rights in the spirit of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). The Caucus plays a critical role in raising the profile of numerous religious freedom issues in Congress and with both the Bush and Obama Administrations, and led to the release of many individuals imprisoned for their faith and ensures relief for many suffering under religious persecution.