Religious Freedom in the Constitution

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for your leadership in bringing to light an incredibly important issue that is going to be debated right across the street from where we stand today in the House over at the Supreme Court.

The Hobby Lobby case deals with so much more than just one company, but it really deals with one of the fundamental rights that has been laid out in our Constitution, and that is the right of religious freedom.

What does that right really mean? Just how much ability does the Federal Government have to impede upon that right, especially when we talk about the right of a President--in this case, Barack Obama--to put out an edict that would literally take away that right to religious freedom from millions of Americans that enjoy it today and have enjoyed it since the beginning of our country?

If you will look at the rostrum right above the Speaker, it says, ``In God We Trust.'' A lot of people across the country would be surprised because there are school boards, there are other governmental bodies that right now have threats against them if they try to pray before any kind of governmental service.

In schools--in many schools across our country today, that right of religious expression is being challenged by groups every single day, and they threaten different groups, schools, other governmental organizations; yet, here in the House Chamber, we pray at the beginning and the start of every session every day.

We have ``In God We Trust'' emblazoned right above the Speaker's rostrum, and it is there for a reason.

It is because our Founding Fathers, when they created this Nation, they didn't say these were rights, the rights that they laid out in the Constitution. These were not rights that were given by men. These were rights that were granted through men from God.

Don't take my word for it. These were the writings of our Founding Fathers. They acknowledged God. They praised God. They talked about the great blessings of liberty given to us by God.

Yes, our Founding Fathers said that. This isn't some rightwing nut in the Tea Party. Thomas Jefferson may have been considered one of those rightwing nuts, using the definitions of some of the liberals running around this town today.

But if you look at what this President is doing right now, trying to trample on those religious freedoms, the Hobby Lobby case is the epitome of where those tramplings of those rights converge, to our job creators.

This is a business that wants to just run and provide services to people all across this country, a few locations in my district. My wife likes going to Hobby Lobby.

They shouldn't have to be faced with a dilemma every time they cut their paychecks to their employees of whether or not they are going to violate their own religious freedoms just to continue operating as a business in this country.

Nobody should be faced with the threat of our government taking away their religious freedoms just to be able to operate as a business; and yet, that is what is happening right now with the President's mandate through his own health care law.

It is not just limited to businesses, Mr. Speaker. If you look at what is also happening, you know, the President loves talking about a war on women. This President loves dividing this country anywhere he gets the opportunity for political gain to try to divide Americans against each other. How shameless that is.

Where is the President's war on women when it relates to religious freedom?

It is against people like the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic order of nuns that is just trying to do good for people. They are forced to sue the Federal Government because this President, Barack Obama, wants to make Little Sisters of the Poor pay for abortion-inducing drugs as part of their condition of providing health care. Otherwise, they are in violation of the law.

What law, Mr. Speaker, would force Catholic nuns to pay for abortion-inducing drugs just to comply with health care laws?

That is what is at stake here. That is why it is so important, this debate that is going to happen across the street, and that is why it is so important that we all come together to stand up against this kind of oppression of religious freedom.

It wasn't the tenth of all ten amendments in the Bill of Rights. It was the First Amendment that guaranteed religious freedom. That is what we stand here in support of tonight.

I sure hope the Supreme Court hears those arguments as well and recognizes not just what we are talking about tonight, but what our Founding Fathers laid out as one of the basic fundamental tenets of our Nation's constitutional guarantee, and that is the right of religious freedom.

I appreciate all of my colleagues standing up in support of it, as we all do; and hopefully, the Supreme Court hears those pleas and rules the right way.

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