[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 22, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY IN THE POLITICAL ARENA

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, 60 years ago this November, Democrat Al 
Smith's campaign for the Presidency was buried under an avalanche of 
anti-Catholic bigotry. Thirty-four years ago this November, Democrat 
John Kennedy was narrowly elected to the Presidency, but only after 
dealing with accusations that he would be installing a ``hot line'' to 
the Vatican.
  It is now 1994, and except for the occasional anti-Semitic rantings 
of fringe candidates like Lyndon LaRouche, I thought religious bigotry 
had long since been retired from the political arena.
  Apparently, I was wrong. Yesterday, Congressman Vic Fazio, chairman 
of the Democratic Congressional Committee, held a press conference to 
continue his attack on what he has termed the ``fire-breathing 
Christian radical right.''
  Given the fact that the Democrats have lost every major competitive 
election since President Clinton took office, I can understand their 
desire to try to find some tactic that might work.
  But by suggesting that being a Christian should exclude someone from 
being involved in politics is a tactic I simply do not understand and 
one that I believe will be quickly rejected by the American people.
  The American people are much smarter than Congressman Fazio and the 
Democrats give them credit. They care about where a candidate stands on 
issues. They are not concerned with whether or not a candidate is 
Catholic, Jewish, Episcopalian, Methodist, or Evangelical.
  Mr. President, I have searched the Constitution and the Bill of 
Rights, and I cannot find anything which states that people who go to 
church should be banned from the political process.
  In fact, Mr. Fazio might be interested to note the very first 
sentence of the first amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom 
of religious expression. It says, ``Congress shall make no laws 
respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free 
exercise thereof.''
  I also remind my Democrat friends both President and Mrs. Clinton 
have spoken about the importance of religion and attend church 
regularly, and I do not hear any Democrat questioning their right to 
participate in the political process.
  Mr. President, I hope that Mr. Fazio and the Democrats will rethink 
this latest foray into religious bigotry. I hope they will judge people 
by the stands they take on issues and not where they kneel to worship.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, as I understand it, there has been time 
that has been allocated to Senator Kassebaum and myself.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is correct.
  Under the previous order, there is 20 minutes total allocated to the 
Senator from Massachusetts and the Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is recognized.

                          ____________________