[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      ASSAULT ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

  (Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California asked and was given permission 
to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Madam Speaker, just a couple of 
weeks ago, this administration announced a position that amounts to an 
assault on religious liberty in this country. Their narrow definition 
of what constitutes religious action, religious belief, and whether or 
not the Federal Government can cause you to take actions against your 
own conscience is a serious matter that ought not to be determined by 
the Friday release of a decision made by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services.
  This is an issue that goes beyond the Catholic Church and Catholic 
institution. It goes to the essence of the First Amendment protections 
contained in the Constitution with respect to religious freedom. We had 
better understand exactly how important this issue is, and we had 
better understand how it has to be addressed directly and cannot be 
compromised by saying we're not going to take away your religious 
liberty for a year. That is not a compromise. That is a form of 
political extortion.

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