[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 8, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H586-H587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ASSAULT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, President Obama stood in 
this very Chamber and spoke about the need for fairness. Fairness, he 
said, is an American value. Yet the President and his administration 
are blatantly ignoring one of the most basic of American values--the 
freedom of religion. I'm referring to the decision by the Obama 
administration to force Catholic employers to provide insurance that 
includes coverage for sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and 
contraception.
  Catholic employers who fail to provide that insurance coverage could 
be fined $2,000 per employee per year. And the Obama administration 
will force Catholics to buy insurance coverage that includes coverage 
for services that many of them find morally wrong. For many Catholics, 
this requirement violates their core beliefs about the sanctity of life 
of the unborn.
  The health care law that is forcing Catholics to put their government 
ahead of their God includes a ``religious conscience'' exemption. It 
allows people with certain religious objections to opt out, and some 
religious groups have been allowed to opt out. But Catholics have been 
denied an opt-out. Instead, the Obama administration is forcing 
Catholics to violate their religious conscience.
  This is not the United States of America that I know. Religious 
tolerance has been a bedrock principle of the American Government for 
almost 240 years. It's one of the reasons why the United States came to 
exist in the first place. The First Amendment states that Americans 
have the right to religious freedom. Religious freedom isn't just the 
ability to believe and worship as we see fit. It's also our right to 
keep other beliefs from being imposed on us. The Federal Government has 
respected those rights by being sensitive, by creating tolerant 
policies regarding our military service, our tax policies and even our 
airport screenings.
  American Catholics are not asking for special rights. We're asking 
for equal rights. I am proudly pro-life, and I will stand here to 
defend the rights of

[[Page H587]]

the unborn. But this isn't about abortion. This isn't a question of 
when life begins. This is about the fundamental rights of all 
Americans, as spelled out in our founding documents. And this decision 
by the Obama administration is a devastating blow against the freedom 
of religion.
  It's one thing for the Federal Government to try to take over our 
health care system, and we can all debate the merits of such 
legislation. But I think we can all agree, no matter on what side of 
the aisle we stand, that the right to freely express our religious 
beliefs--and, more importantly, not have other beliefs forced upon us--
is a core value of this country. It is nonnegotiable.
  Good people of all faiths should be outraged by this decision. If 
this administration can trample on the beliefs and rights of the 
American Catholics, those of other religions should ask, are we next?
  Yesterday, I read in The New York Times that legal scholars say the 
American Constitution is old and outdated, that it isn't relevant in 
the modern world. Now, as this administration ignores our most 
treasured values--not religious values, but American values--our 
Constitution could not be more relevant. The first words of the 
American Bill of Rights are: Congress shall make no law respecting an 
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
  They're first, and they're first for a reason. The United States of 
America has long been a place of religious freedom. It's one of the 
things that separates us from foreign countries. Just as the Federal 
Government should not endorse a religion, it should not punish a 
religion, either. All religions must be treated equally. They must be 
respected. That's the American way. Today, Catholics all across the 
United States feel like outsiders. They feel as if their government has 
betrayed them.
  Catholic leaders, including three bishops that lead Catholics in my 
district, have clearly said they cannot and will not comply with this 
unjust decision by the Obama administration. No one should have to 
choose between their God and their government. And no one, especially a 
government founded on religious freedom, should force them to.
  The decision by this administration to make Catholics violate their 
most basic principles is a violation of the most basic American 
principle. I strongly condemn the Obama administration for this 
outrageous overreach of Federal authority; and I strongly encourage the 
administration to rescind this unfair, un-American policy. If the Obama 
administration can take away this most basic American value for 80 
million Catholics, who's next?

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