[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today on 
Religious Freedom Day to celebrate the numerous faiths that people hold 
across this great Nation.
  Today we commemorate the 233rd anniversary of the passing of a State 
law that has shaped and secured our important legacy of religious 
liberty. On January 16, 1786, the Virginia General Assembly passed the 
Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. The bill, written by Thomas 
Jefferson, states: ``All men shall be free to profess, and by argument 
to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.''
  Just a few years later, this bill served as the inspiration for the 
First Amendment, which affirms our right to choose and exercise faith 
without government coercion or retaliation.
  Today, Americans from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds remain 
committed to the values of faith, honesty, integrity, and patriotism.
  Madam Speaker, our Constitution and laws guarantee Americans the 
right not just to believe as they see fit, but to freely exercise their 
religion. We observe this day in our homes, schools, and houses of 
worship because we have the freedom and the right to do so.

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