[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17075-17081]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE MILITARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins of Georgia). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 3, 2013, the gentlewoman from Missouri 
(Mrs. Hartzler) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the 
majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker and my fellow colleagues, I wanted to 
share with you a picture that I have in my office, and it is my 
favorite picture. It is the famous picture of President and then-
General George Washington on his knees praying at Valley Forge.
  Of course, we all remember from our history lessons the story of what 
happened during that time. But the winter at Valley Forge was a 
terribly, terribly trying time for the Continental Army. They had 
suffered a lot of defeats that fall, and they went into a very cold, 
harsh winter with very, very limited supplies, and the stories that 
come from that are just heartbreaking.
  There were 12,000 men that were encamped. Many of them did not even 
have a tent or a shelter. Several of them did not even have a blanket. 
And as you know, here in Washington, D.C., and back home in Missouri, 
the weather has started to turn cold. I think it was about 30 degrees 
this morning. And to think about what it would have been like to have 
to sleep out in the cold with no blanket during that time. And of 
course, snow came along.
  We have heard stories about how many of the men did not even have 
shoes. They had marched so much that fall and had gone through such 
harsh battles that their shoes had fallen apart. And we have all seen 
pictures and heard stories of how their feet bled. Even in the snow, 
there were foot tracks like that. And what is worse, many of them 
didn't even have food.
  This was the situation of 12,000 men. The conditions were so bad that 
they ruled at one time that a third of them, almost 4,000 men, were 
unfit for battle. And then 2,000, over the course of those winter 
months, died as a result of disease and dysentery and other things that 
occurred during those very harsh conditions.
  And during that time, we have learned a story that George Washington, 
the commander of this ragtag yet valiant group of men, went to the 
woods and got down on his knees and prayed. And the reason we know this 
is because of the story of Isaac Potts who later shared the account 
that was later recorded.
  He was a local Quaker farmer. He was riding his horse through the 
woods, and he heard a sound that was strange, as if a man was crying 
out in plaintiff prayer. So he quietly got off his horse and wrapped 
the reins around a sapling tree, snuck through the woods to get closer, 
and as he came into an opening, he could see something that shocked 
him.

                              {time}  1745

  He said it like this:

       I saw the great George Washington on his knees, alone, with 
     a sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was 
     at prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose 
     with his Divine aid.

  We know what happened later--and, I believe, as a result of those 
prayers. That ragtag group of army over the winter gained courage and 
strength. Supplies started to come in. General Baron Von Steuben was 
sent by Benjamin Franklin from the Prussian Army to start drilling the 
men and turn this ragtag but courageous group into a major, strong 
fighting force, and they came out that next spring a force ready to 
meet the British Army, and they did.
  That was a turning point in the war. It wasn't to be decided for 
years to come, but at Valley Forge the whole outcome of not just the 
war, but of our country, was turned, and I believe it was because of 
the prayer of the general of the Army.
  Faith has been important to the armed services and to the people of 
this country from the beginning, and it is just as important now to our 
men and women in uniform as it was back at the beginning of our 
country. Yet their ability to express their religious beliefs is being 
attacked from forces outside and forces within.
  It has been discouraging the last few years to hear accounts of some 
of these infringements on the basic religious rights and freedoms of 
our men and women in uniform. So that is why my colleagues and I are 
here for the next hour. We are here to, first of all, stand up for the 
religious rights and freedoms that are guaranteed in our Constitution.
  I think it is very fitting and appropriate to remember that George 
Washington was there and helped craft that Bill of Rights, and what is 
the first right? The freedom of expression of religion.
  We want to not only celebrate that and stand up for that but to also 
raise awareness of the concerns that we have and to implore the 
Department of Defense to push back on some of the negative policies 
that have been coming out that infringe on their rights, and to change 
course and to continue to remain strong as a country, preserving those 
basic freedoms so that we can continue to be strong in the future as we 
have in the past.
  So now I want to invite someone who knows from very personal 
experience and can speak to this issue, my friend from Georgia, 
Representative Doug Collins, who is still an active member of the Air 
Force Reserves, not only serving his country in many ways, but also 
serving his God by being a chaplain.
  Representative Collins, I would like to hear what you have to say 
about this very important issue.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I appreciate the gentlelady yielding and 
being a part of this tonight and really bringing something to the 
forefront that we need to discuss. It is a part of our foundation. It 
is a part, as you have so rightly shown by that wonderful reproduction 
of a painting there, that--our values and our founding were founded 
really on a sense of prayer, and not from a prayer that led to an 
exclusive Nation, but a prayer that led to an inclusive Nation. I think 
that is something that we often many times have forgotten in this 
process.
  Tonight, as we talk about this, I want to discuss that on Veterans 
Day, the President laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solder in 
Arlington National Cemetery. As the final resting place for so many men 
and women of faith, Arlington is, understandably, full of religious 
symbolism. It is considered this country's most hallowed ground.
  Veterans Day gives Americans an opportunity to honor those laid to 
rest at Arlington Cemetery, along with those continuing to serve our 
great Nation. Those interred in Arlington's soil gave their lives to 
uphold the rights we are blessed to enjoy today.
  Sadly, I have become concerned about our servicemembers' ability to 
exercise their freedoms. Over the past year, a number of incidents have 
caused many to question if the Pentagon and the VA no longer embrace 
the religious freedoms its soldiers and patients have bled to defend.
  A news report came to light just a few days ago of two military 
chaplains being harassed in a Veterans Affairs chaplain training 
program in 2012. The VA health programs employ chaplains to minister to 
patients receiving care, and these two seasoned officers were looking 
to attend to the needs of those in VA care.
  I want you to understand these are not new chaplains. These are not 
new to the military environment. They were two who had admirably served 
in the military as chaplains and gone through this training, which 
should have been easy because it had been something they had been doing 
their entire career.
  However, their suit claims a VA supervisor repeatedly harassed the 
chaplains about their Christian beliefs. The supervisor instructed the 
chaplains not to pray in the name of Jesus, which is an integral 
component of the Christian faith. Even in the context of a group

[[Page 17076]]

discussion on faith-based topics, the two chaplains were chastised for 
reciting Scripture.
  As a chaplain myself, I am just amazed at this process at this 
point--chaplains not able to use Scripture of any faith group. That is 
the very basis of who we are, no matter what faith background that we 
come from, and in ministering to those with faith or without faith, it 
is a structural part of who we are.
  The chaplains' spiritual beliefs were belittled on multiple 
occasions. The harassment by the chaplain's supervisor was so filled 
with vitriol that one of them withdrew from the program.
  The VA is designed to serve members of the Armed Forces during 
periods of need and hardship. If the VA bars chaplains from expressing 
themselves, how can we expect servicemembers suffering from private 
illnesses to come forward?
  Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. There are numerous 
reports of the DOD and VA permitting open hostility to Christian 
organizations and those practicing the faith in uniform.
  In April, media sources reported that Army soldiers were being 
briefed that Christian Evangelicals were to be considered extremist 
organizations in the vein of al Qaeda. Similar briefings have 
apparently continued, with a similar incident at Camp Shelby in 
Alabama--get this, not a few months ago, not when this was first done--
last month. As one who is a Christian Evangelical, to be described with 
those in a terrorist organization in the vein of al Qaeda is despicable 
and should be stopped.
  Earlier this year, the Southern Baptist Convention's Web site had 
issues at Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine bases. The Pentagon has 
subsequently apologized for the issues, and they said there was never 
an intent to restrict servicemembers' access to the Web site, but when 
you look at it from an overall perspective, this still continues to be 
a concern.
  Then we have a gentleman named Mikey Weinstein, who is an ardent 
critic of Christians practicing in the military. Mr. Weinstein heads 
the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Don't let the title of his 
organization fool you. That is what they want you to think.
  Mr. Weinstein believes the phrase ``so help me God'' should be 
removed from the Air Force Academy's honor oath. This same man 
requested and received time to speak with top military brass to discuss 
religious freedom in the military. At what point in time should someone 
who wants to take away freedom be given the opportunity to go before 
our highest military officials to plead a case to remove a very 
constitutional right without the benefit of others getting the same 
courtesy?
  As I continue reflecting on the meeting of Veterans Day, it troubles 
my spirit to think that leading military personnel may be targeting 
Christian organizations as a part of a personal agenda.
  This country has fought such tyrants. Freedom of religion has been 
upheld with the blood, sweat, and tears of the U.S. military. Now there 
appears to be a strain inside the Pentagon and VA whose mission it is 
to take away the soul of our fighting force.
  Are we now to tiptoe on the very soil that entombs the brave men and 
women who gave their lives for religious liberties and our other 
constitutional rights? As a military chaplain myself, I pray not.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you very much, Representative Collins. Well 
said.
  The oath that you talked about, I want to expound on it a little bit 
so people understood that what Mikey Weinstein did has had an effect. 
The Air Force Academy actually removed a poster portraying the words of 
the Academy oath, and the committee is considered removing the phrase 
``so help me God'' from the honor oath recited by all incoming cadets.
  This is the same oath. Let me read it. This is the oath that every 
cadet gives when they come into the Air Force Academy. It is also the 
same oath of office for officers and the same oath that Members of 
Congress say. This is what they want to remove the ``so help me God'' 
from:

       Having been appointed as an Air Force Cadet in the United 
     States Air Force, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will 
     support and defend the Constitution of the United States 
     against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear 
     true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this 
     obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose 
     of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the 
     duties of the office of which I am about to enter. So help me 
     God.

  It is a time-honored oath.
  This is a serious decision to enter the service of the country, 
whether it is in the military or whether it is as a Member of Congress, 
and to have them question whether we should remove that or not is 
despicable.
  Now I would like to turn to a champion on these issues, and that is 
my friend from Colorado, Representative Doug Lamborn. I appreciate the 
letters that he has authored to push back on many of these attacks on 
our religious freedoms.
  Representative Lamborn.
  Mr. LAMBORN. I thank the gentlelady from Missouri. I know that she is 
a leader on military issues. We serve together on the Armed Services 
Committee, and she is becoming known as a leader on military issues. 
Her passion on religious freedom is also evident through her getting 
this time here today. So I appreciate that.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today again in support of religious freedom in 
our military. I am honored to represent tens of thousands of men and 
women in uniform who serve at the five military installations in my 
district in Colorado. Our military is made up of brave and dedicated 
men and women of all faiths who deserve to practice their respective 
religion free from harassment and malicious attacks.
  But there is a growing and troubling pattern of religious 
discrimination against our men and women in arms. Earlier this year, an 
Army reserve training brief listed Catholics, Evangelical Christians, 
Sunni Muslims, and some Jews as ``religious extremists,'' along with 
groups like al Qaeda, Hamas, and the KKK. In response to this troubling 
report, I sent a letter, along with 34 of my colleagues, to the 
Secretary of the Army to express deep concern and to request 
information about what is being done to prevent this sort of offensive 
briefing from being given again.
  In his response, Secretary of the Army John McHugh assured us that 
this briefing was an isolated incident. Secretary McHugh also made note 
of a corrective measure that would require all briefings of this nature 
to be vetted with the appropriate unit leaders and subject matter 
experts prior to presentation.
  Sadly, this past month, reports of additional offensive Army 
briefings came to light, first, at Camp Shelby in Mississippi, where an 
Army Reserve training briefing listed the American Family Association, 
a respected Christian organization, as a domestic hate group alongside 
groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, the Black Panthers, and the 
Nation of Islam, and also at a Fort Hood briefing that listed Christian 
Evangelical groups as a ``threat'' to the United States. These 
disturbing reports have made clear that the offensive briefing given in 
April was not an isolated incident. This pattern must be addressed.
  I was encouraged to learn that Secretary McHugh, after learning of 
the most recent incidents, issued an order to cease all briefings on 
the subject of extremist organizations and activities. Secretary McHugh 
rightly described the mislabeling of Christian Evangelical groups as 
``inaccurate, objectionable, and otherwise inconsistent with current 
Army policy.''
  I commend Secretary McHugh's recent action and believe it was a step 
in the right direction. However, these Army briefings are small 
examples of what I believe is a larger issue, which is a pattern of 
intolerance toward people of faith in the military.
  In addition to briefings mislabeling Christians, we have also seen a 
Christian chaplain ordered to remove a religious column he had written 
which simply detailed the history of the phrase ``there are no atheists 
in foxholes.'' Active efforts are underway to

[[Page 17077]]

remove the phrase ``so help me God'' from the Air Force Academy oath. 
The President, upon signing the National Defense Authorization Act, 
actually called religious freedom protections for military chaplains 
and other servicemembers ``unnecessary and ill-advised.''
  I have no idea how he could say this.
  Mr. Speaker, this religious intolerance is unacceptable. Our Nation 
was founded on Judeo-Christian principles but has always believed in 
freedom of self-expression and intolerance. We owe it to our men and 
women in uniform to defend these basic rights.
  Religious freedom is an integral component of America's greatness and 
has been a pillar of our Nation from the very beginning. You can see 
the picture that Representative Hartzler showed of George Washington. 
It has also been a strong part of our military heritage.
  We must remain firmly committed to defending that freedom.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Representative Lamborn. That was very good. 
I appreciate the summary of some of the concerns that we had of the 
pattern that has developed of the intolerance in the military of 
religious expression. So thank you for your leadership on that.
  I would now like to turn to my friend from Texas, Representative 
Roger Williams.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. WILLIAMS. Thank you, Congresswoman. I appreciate your leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, in our Nation's 237 years, over 25 million men and women 
have served in the Armed Forces. They wear the uniform, fight our 
enemies, defend their homeland, protect their fellow man in battle, 
honor their fallen comrades, and, perhaps most importantly, they honor 
their oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States 
against all enemies foreign and domestic.
  Mr. Speaker, the First Amendment of the Constitution states:

       Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

  Freedom of religion is how we live our faith, not just where we 
attend worship services. Soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines 
stationed domestically are able to attend their religious services; and 
for troops overseas who aren't able to walk off base in enemy territory 
to attend a service, there are military chaplains who facilitate 
services for them. But religious freedom doesn't just cover worship 
services; it covers the exercise of religion.
  Regrettably, in the last few years, many instances of religious 
intolerance in the military have come to light, specifically targeting 
Christianity. Soldiers are being told by superiors that they cannot 
associate themselves with Christian groups and that evangelical 
Christians are a threat to the United States. These soldiers are told 
not to associate with, contribute to, or be a part of these Christian 
groups.
  This is not only an outrage. It is un-American and a direct violation 
of the Constitution that these men and women have sworn with their 
lives to uphold. Troops do not take an oath to their superiors, the 
President, the government or to Congress. They take an oath to defend 
the Constitution, which protects their religious liberty.
  The Department of Defense's rules and regulations protecting these 
rights need to be enforced. As a whole, the military overwhelmingly 
respects the rights and religious beliefs of individuals, but these so-
called ``isolated incidents'' of intimidation and coercion must end 
now--immediately.
  Mr. Speaker, our Armed Forces are willing and ready to answer the 
call of duty, and so many have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve 
the freedoms and liberties we as Americans value so dearly. My 
district, the 25th District of Texas, is home to Fort Hood, which is 
the largest military installation in America. The patriots at Fort Hood 
deserve to have someone fighting on their behalf when their rights as 
Americans are violated.
  Congress must ensure that every time a man or a woman makes the 
admirable decision to join the military, he is not signing away his 
First Amendment rights. Let's make sure right here, right now that our 
policies leave no room for interpretation when it comes to the 
military's right to freely practice its religion. After all, we are one 
Nation under God. In God, we always trust.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you so much, Representative Williams. Well said. 
I appreciate it very much.
  Now I would like to yield to a real leader on this, one who has been 
at the forefront of ensuring that our men and women in uniform are not 
discriminated against based on their religious beliefs. He was the 
author of the amendment of the National Defense Authorization Act last 
year and this year, an amendment which protects those freedoms. I would 
now like to turn to John Fleming from Louisiana.
  Mr. FLEMING. I thank the gentlelady from Missouri.
  I thank you for your leadership and also, tonight, for having this 
great time for us to come together to talk about a subject that, I 
think, is increasingly important.
  With great foresight and clarity, the Founding Fathers enshrined 
religious liberty as our First Amendment right, stating:

       Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

  This is an important constitutional right that is for every American, 
including servicemembers who defend those very liberties with their own 
lives.
  The ability to live one's life informed by one's faith is not just a 
protected constitutional right; it is also essential for the individual 
well-being of our soldiers. In the uniquely stressful military 
environment, Congress must ensure that our men and women in uniform can 
access religious support and practice their faith without risking 
career reprisals.
  Servicemembers increasingly fear even mentioning their faith in the 
military because of restrictions, uncertain policies surrounding 
religious expression, and a general climate of hostility towards those 
with particular religious or moral viewpoints. This is not your 
father's military. This is not the military you served in. This is a 
different military when it comes to respecting religious rights and 
freedoms.
  Last year, the House Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment to 
the National Defense Authorization Act, section 533, that provided 
protections of sincerely held religious beliefs for servicemembers and 
chaplains. However, we have yet to see the regulations that should have 
been issued in accordance with this amendment.
  In a March 2013 JAG memorandum, the Air Force clearly showed that it 
is interpreting section 533 as only protecting the religious beliefs of 
servicemembers and not the actual expression of those beliefs through 
actions and free speech. For heaven's sakes, of course the military 
can't say anything about what you believe because nobody knows what you 
believe unless you express those beliefs in some way or another.
  Just as the First Amendment does not mean just freedom of worship 
but, rather, the free exercise of religion, servicemembers are not only 
protected in holding a belief but are free to live their lives in 
accordance with those beliefs and to give voice to them.
  This June, on a bipartisan basis, the House Armed Services Committee 
adopted my amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to 
clarify the protections provided for actions and speech that flow from 
sincerely held religious and moral convictions.
  My amendment provides the Department flexibility to ensure the morale 
and readiness needs of servicemembers are met upon the application of 
this provision. It clarifies that action and speech, along with the 
beliefs of a servicemember, are protected by the First Amendment, and 
it requires that the DOD consult with the faith groups, which already 
work with the military to endorse military chaplains, when implementing 
section 533.
  While the military context requires good order and discipline to be 
maintained, ``good order and discipline''

[[Page 17078]]

cannot be wielded as a club to stifle the reasonable religious 
expression of servicemembers.
  So what am I really talking about here? Let me give you some 
examples:
  A servicemember received a severe and possibly career-ending 
reprimand from his commanding officer for respectfully expressing his 
faith's religious position in a personal religious blog even though the 
blog included a disclaimer that his views were not official military 
policy;
  An Air Force officer kept a Bible on his desk, along with other 
personal items, for 18 years. When he transferred to his latest 
assignment, he was told by his supervisor that he could not keep his 
Bible in public view, that it may offend someone if one actually saw 
his Bible;
  Walter Reed Hospital briefly prohibited the distribution of religious 
materials, i.e., Bibles and scripture of any faith, from being given to 
wounded servicemembers;
  Thousands of Army Reserve soldiers received equal opportunity 
training, labeling evangelical Christians, Catholics, ultra-Orthodox 
Jews, and others as ``religious extremists'' who are comparable to the 
KKK and al Qaeda. This training, which was memorialized in writing, 
further instructed the servicemembers that they may not support such 
extremist organizations by attending meetings, fund-raising, 
recruiting, helping lead or organize or distributing literature. In 
other words, thousands of soldiers were told that they could not go to 
church, lead Sunday school, tithe, share their faith or give out 
Bibles;
  Another series of equal opportunity training sessions held for Army 
active components at Camp Shelby in Alabama and again at Fort Hood in 
Texas listed a prominent ministry, the American Family Association, as 
an extremist group alongside the KKK. I am pleased that Secretary 
McHugh, upon being made aware of these particular types of egregious 
training materials, canceled all future equal opportunity training 
until the DOD gets its act together;
  There is the case of Sergeant Monk, a fine young man whom I met 
personally, who was relieved of his position after objecting to his 
commander's plans to punish an instructor who had expressed religious 
objections to gay marriage. When asked about his own support of 
traditional marriage, Sergeant Monk was told that he was in violation 
of Air Force policy. Yes, because he supported traditional marriage, he 
was in violation of Air Force policy, and after 19 years--almost 20 
years, almost reaching retirement--he was fired;
  In performing his official duties, an Air Force chaplain, Lieutenant 
Colonel Reyes, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, wrote a 
column on the ``Chaplain's Corner'' Web site, titled ``No Atheists in 
Foxholes: Chaplains Gave All in World War II.'' The column traces the 
history of the famous phrase used by President Eisenhower, and connects 
it to the idea that the military is unique in that servicemembers must 
confront the grim reality of death.
  He writes:

       Everyone expresses some form of faith every day whether it 
     is religious or secular. Some express faith by believing, 
     when they get up in the morning, they will arrive at work in 
     one piece . . . What is the root or object of your faith? Is 
     it something you can count on in times of plenty or loss? 
     peace or chaos? joy or sorrow? success or failure? What is 
     ``faith'' to you?

  Finally, the column did not speak negatively of people of no faith or 
of people of non-faith, though the commander removed the column from 
the ``Chaplain's Corner'' Web page. The commander later reposted the 
column after media attention and congressional inquiries.
  I would just like to say in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, that we are 
seeing an assault on religious liberty, not just on religion--not just 
on Christianity--but on religious liberty in a way this Nation has 
never seen before. Bear in mind, why did our forefathers--why did our 
ancestors--come to this Nation? They came for different reasons--
economic freedom, freedom of speech and other things--but primarily for 
religious freedom.
  That is the one freedom that appears to be slipping away in the most 
important venue that we have, and that is in the military, because who 
pays a heavier price for that freedom than our uniformed members who 
stand in the gap, who protect us each and every day in our own 
freedoms?
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you so much Representative Fleming. Your 
leadership has really made a difference and appreciate your comments.
  I know another colleague from Texas who is a captain in the Army 
probably has a few things to share about this so I would like to hear 
from my friend Louie Gohmert.
  Mr. GOHMERT. I thank my friend from Missouri for yielding and for 
setting up this time that we could share about what is going on.
  Just in contrast to my friend from Louisiana's examples of the abuses 
of military members' First Amendment rights, the government is not 
supposed to prohibit the free exercise of religion. Of course, we know 
in the military--I knew--that there are some things you give up when 
you are in the military. You can't assemble when you want to, and you 
can't speak when you want to, but Commanders in Chief have always known 
that when it comes to religious liberty, you should not infringe upon 
people's religious beliefs, especially when they believe they are 
fighting for a country in which people could have First Amendment 
rights to utilize and to worship God.
  In fact, of course, in my 4 years in the Army, we didn't have a 
Commander in Chief who had issued an order--attributed to George 
Washington--that people should not take the name of the Lord in vain, 
because how can we ask God's blessing on our military at the same time 
and in the same mouth as one's taking God's name in vain? That was not 
the order of the day when I was in the Army; but by the same token, you 
saw crosses at chapels on military installations. You saw crosses 
inside of chapels and outside of chapels. Now they have been removed, 
we have been told, from the insides and outsides of chapels on military 
installations. It is outrageous.
  We hear people call the generation in America that won World War II--
making the world safer for democracy--the Greatest Generation. Yet, if 
you look at what occurred during World War II, you had a President of 
the United States who went on national radio on D-day and prayed about 
the evil forces that our troops were trying to defeat. He prayed God's 
blessing openly for several minutes on national radio.
  I was given by my aunt a New Testament with a metal cover. There are 
all kinds of stories about these metal covers actually stopping bullets 
when they were placed in pockets, but on this metal cover, it says, 
``May the Lord be with you.''
  Under the new rules, I haven't seen anything that this Commander in 
Chief has signed or said of ``you can't practice your Christian 
beliefs'' or ``we are not going to afford you conscience exemptions'' 
like have always been provided throughout our country. I haven't seen 
that.

                              {time}  1815

  But as Harry Truman said, the buck stops with the Commander in Chief. 
Whether it is actually stopping with Valerie Jarrett, or wherever it is 
stopping, the Commander in Chief has the power to get the buck, bring 
it to his desk, and make these decisions.
  Well, here is what Franklin D. Roosevelt did. Here in this New 
Testament, it says, ``May the Lord be with you on the front.'' Inside, 
at the top, it says, ``The White House, Washington.''

       As Commander in Chief, I take pleasure in commending the 
     reading of the Bible to all who serve in the Armed Forces of 
     the United States. Throughout the centuries, men of many 
     faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book 
     words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It is a fountain 
     of strength, and now, as always, an aid in attaining the 
     highest aspirations of the human soul.

  Signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  I have been trying to find a Bible in recent days that has an 
inscription or signature from the current Commander in Chief who has 
said he takes such great inspiration from Franklin Roosevelt. Instead, 
not only do we not find

[[Page 17079]]

Bibles being encouraged and handed out, we see crosses being taken 
back, people being told they can't even have their own Bible where 
people might see it. It is an outrage.
  I worry for our Nation, just as George Washington did. How can we 
expect God to bless a nation that is not being allowed to even praise 
God publicly in our military? It is a sad day. But what is more, if 
George Washington is right, we are stripping our Nation of the 
opportunity to have our military blessed because of what was done in 
prior militaries that brought about blessings.
  Even if you don't believe in God whatsoever, why wouldn't you want to 
at least have an insurance policy that maybe the reason they were 
blessed was because of things like this done for our military in our 
military, signed by the President of the United States? Obviously, this 
is a stamp of the President's signature.
  But again, I appreciate my friend from Missouri. #MilitaryFreedom--we 
encourage people, Mr. Speaker, to utilize that, to get us information, 
because we want to help our military protect us.
  I thank so much Mrs. Hartzler for this effort and for this hour and 
encourage all of our colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to stand up for what is 
right for our military--their freedom of religion.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you. I really appreciate you bringing your Bible 
and sharing that story. I think that really brings home how things have 
changed and how we need to go back to having an administration and a 
Department of Defense that protects and preserves and promotes the 
exercise of religion among our troops for the protection and blessing 
of not only them, but our country.
  Now I would like to turn to my friend from Illinois, just a little 
ways to the east here, Randy Hultgren, to share on this important 
topic.
  Mr. HULTGREN. Thank you, Congresswoman Hartzler, for putting this 
together. I appreciate your important work on this. This is such an 
important subject for us to be talking about.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight troubled by what appears to be growing 
attacks on the religious freedom of those serving in our military. Our 
great Nation, as you all know, was founded on the principle that all 
men and women have a natural right to freely practice their respective 
faiths. These rights extend equally to the brave men and women who 
serve in our Armed Forces. Our founding documents were written with the 
express purpose of protecting the inalienable rights of American 
citizens, including that of religious liberties. The First Amendment 
states:

       Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

  In 1785, the father of the Constitution, James Madison, said:

       The religion then of every man must be left to the 
     conviction of conscience of every man, and it is the right of 
     every man to exercise it as these may dictate.

  He recognized that one's faith contains dictates that, barring harm 
to others, demand obedience from adherents. And obedience not only in 
thought and behavior, but also by speech and action as well. An 
individual's faith is inseparable from the way in which he or she lives 
and acts.
  If the Federal Government would curtail the religious speech and 
action of military members, they would be clearly overstepping the 
bounds of the Constitution. Unfortunately, over the past several years, 
a string of aggressive government actions has chilled the religious 
practice of members of our Armed Forces. These soldiers defend our 
freedoms abroad but did not expect to lose those freedoms at home.
  Earlier this year, an officer in the Air Force was asked to remove 
the Bible he kept on his desk. He was told his displaying his Bible 
made others uncomfortable and that he could, as a superior, be seen as 
forcing his religion on others.
  Does this mean that President Obama has forced his religion on others 
when he put his hand on President Lincoln's Bible as he swore the oath 
of office on inauguration day? When did freedom for religion become 
conflated with freedom from religion?
  While attempting to avoid elevating one faith above the rest--an 
admirable goal--the government has stifled all religion. The so-called 
``protection'' from religious expression extends further into 
servicemembers' personal lives.
  An Army chaplain's assistant was reprimanded for expressing her views 
informed by her faith regarding human sexuality on her own private 
Facebook profile. Her post was created in her free time and was only 
visible to her friends and family. Yet, once the post was discovered, a 
superior demanded she remove it or potentially face disciplinary 
action, including loss of rank and pay. She eventually was forced to 
acquiesce and remove the post.
  These are not isolated incidents, but reflect an institutionwide 
problem.
  Take, for example, a memo released September 14, 2011, to Walter Reed 
National Military Medical Center. Here is an excerpt from a section 
regarding visits by religious leaders:

       No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or 
     artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a 
     visit.

  So the memo prevented a priest visiting an ailing parishioner from 
bringing his Bible--or imam, his Koran--with him to the hospital. This 
sparked a national outcry and the memo was quickly rescinded under the 
claim that it was an ``accident.'' So the memo was ``accidental.''
  But what about military briefings? Are they ``accidental'' as well?
  Last month, several dozen U.S. Army Active and Reserve troops were 
advised to treat the American Family Association as a hate group. 
Apparently, the Christian ministry's support for traditional marriage 
was enough for the instructor to slap on the ``hate group'' label. 
Fortunately, again under public pressure, the Pentagon later retracted 
the label.
  Similarly, a West Point think tank released a report at the beginning 
of the year labeling ``far right'' conservative groups, specifically 
those holding pro-life values, as extremists and domestic terrorists. 
Because a few radical and disturbed activists have used violence to 
further their cause, the report lumped in everyone who believed in the 
sanctity of all life as terrorists. It is dangerous and disingenuous to 
paint with such broad strokes, blaming entire groups for the terrible 
actions of a few individuals.
  These stories are just a few examples of rising sentiment that 
attacks the expression of religion in our military first and then asks 
questions later. Taken individually, these incidents are cause for 
concern. Taken together, we must wonder whether this widespread 
activity is more than just coincidence.
  We must also wonder why a distinguished institution has taken a 
political position in opposition and opposing those who have long 
championed the very values the military purports to uphold. Soldiers 
are being told with more frequency that religion has no place in the 
military. If they hope to rise in the ranks or escape punishment, they 
must leave their faith at the door.
  The military is unique in its power to make broad demands over 
individual servicemembers, demands that can't be made over civilians. 
No one should be forced to choose between service to country and his or 
her faith. We must ensure that men and women in uniform have the 
ability to practice that faith without fear of reprimand.
  The First Amendment secures the freedom of religious expression for 
all Americans, including those who protect our freedoms. How could we 
allow this liberty to be stripped away from our soldiers, our sailors, 
our pilots? Our brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers in the Armed 
Forces all deserve the same rights and liberties that we enjoy--the 
very ones that they fought to protect. Let's defend them at home as 
they defend us abroad.
  Again, thank you Congresswoman Hartzler for doing this.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Congressman Hultgren.
  I think that is a very good point--that we should defend their rights 
as they are defending us.
  I am looking forward and very much appreciate my colleague from 
Michigan, who is here tonight as well, because he has put his life on 
the line, starting after high school, going to

[[Page 17080]]

serve in Vietnam--I believe you were an infantry rifleman to start off 
with--and then ended up all the way serving with the military police 
over in Iraq.
  First of all, thank you for your service. Thank you for what you are 
doing to defend freedoms even today as we talk about this important 
issue. So I yield time to you.
  Mr. BENTIVOLIO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman 
from Missouri for the opportunity to speak on this very important 
topic.
  Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, I read a report that really bothered 
me. The story said that Army briefs labeled Evangelical Christians and 
Catholics as ``extremists.'' That really disturbs me, and it should 
disturb everyone in this room--in fact, everyone in this country.
  We have to remember that the men and women in our Armed Forces 
represent a microcosm of America. Although they have a variety of 
beliefs, they work together to defend us. On the battlefield, the enemy 
doesn't care what you look like or what God you worship. I serve God 
and country in that order, as did many of my fellow soldiers.
  It was the greatest honor of my life to serve my country, first as an 
infantryman, as you said, and later in the Michigan Army National Guard 
for more than 20 years. I can say without a doubt that the soldiers I 
served with represented the best America had to offer. That is still 
true today as well. Millions of them are Christians. It is wrong and 
disrespectful to equate those who believe in traditional values with 
members of a hate group. Our military should grant mutual respect to 
everyone in the armed services, because that diversity is what makes 
America great.
  Before I close, I would like to remind everyone about that famous 
prayer that was addressed or mentioned in the gentleman from Texas' 
speech. A great general said before the soldiers embarked on that 
great, great battle on D-day:

       Good luck. And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty 
     God upon this great and noble undertaking.

  General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you.
  We have another friend from California here, Representative Doug 
LaMalfa. We are so glad that he is here, and I want to yield time to 
you to hear what your thoughts are on this very important topic of 
religious freedom in our military.
  Mr. LaMALFA. Thank you, Mrs. Hartzler. I really, really appreciate 
you leading the charge on this very important issue that is probably 
not noticed by a lot of Americans these days, but is certainly being 
noticed by those members of the military that wish to express their 
religious freedoms as they see fit.
  Indeed, that was really one of the cornerstone issues of the Founders 
on several items: on taxation, of course, on private property and 
private property rights, and very importantly, the ability of Americans 
in the new country to express their religious views as they see fit, to 
have the freedom to do that.
  So it is rather amazing, and certainly appalling, that in our own 
military we see this going on where those rights are being suppressed, 
especially what we are hearing tonight with some of my previous 
colleagues' speeches about Christianity. Having a Bible on a desk 
somehow is a problem for somebody? How have we gotten to this point 
here? How can people be labeled somehow as part of a terrorist 
organization when actually these are peaceful enterprises where you are 
trying to bring people together under the grace of God?

                              {time}  1830

  I have, in my Washington, D.C., office and in one of my district 
offices, this portrait here of General Washington as a reminder, as a 
way for me to continue to seek humility myself. General Washington, 
Valley Forge, what a man of principle, of humility, of grace. This 
picture captures so much. He knew it was important that he bow to God, 
and it certainly served him well and served the founding of this 
country at a very perilous time when the fledgling Revolutionary War 
could have gone either way at the time. He is an example for all of us 
back then and right now. That is why I like that portrait so much, and 
I am glad you brought it here tonight.
  The reasons, as put by the Founders for our religious freedom, have 
been mentioned here. It is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. 
Those who were willing to lay down their lives for us fought for that 
for all Americans, and we should be guaranteed this right without any 
questions asked.
  So I feel it is a duty for me, as one Member of Congress, and my 
colleagues here tonight in speaking about this to work to fight to 
uphold that right. Who has taken over in our military that thinks that 
this is acceptable, to suppress this freedom of expression of religion? 
I don't understand it. So we are here to protect those servicemembers 
as well and that ability to have that freedom.
  We know that the chaplaincy was formed in 1775 at the behest of 
General Washington, who knew and acknowledged at that time how 
important religious freedom was to our soldiers. The chaplains exist to 
facilitate the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment for 
servicemembers, and they faithfully administer to servicemembers of all 
faith, or of no faith. I think that is a key thing to mention here.
  We have all heard the story mentioned earlier as well about ``there 
are no atheists in foxholes.'' You may have heard that phrase. It goes 
back to a story by Father Cummings, who was a civilian Catholic priest 
in the Philippines. The phrase was coined during the Japanese attack at 
Corregidor. During the siege, Cummings had noticed that non-Catholics 
were attending his services. Some he knew were not Catholic; some were 
not religious. Some he knew were atheists. Christ just brings out a 
desire for something greater than ourselves and a need to look within 
or above. With the pending surrender of Allied forces to the Japanese, 
Cummings began calming men down by reciting The Lord's Prayer and 
offering up prayers on their behalf. He then uttered the famous phrase, 
``there's no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.''
  Well, we all know there are all different types of religions in this 
Nation and people who practice no religion. They choose to have their 
own way of looking at things. And we embrace all that. Everybody has 
that right. Everybody has that ability.
  So atheists are still allowed to be atheists, but to have a group of 
people dictate to everybody else--how many times have we seen these 
battles, such as a high school graduation, somebody wants to sue to 
stop a prayer or a nativity scene? If you don't like it, don't pay 
attention to it, because the rest of us sure see a lot of offensive 
things in TV and commercials and the T-shirts people wear, even 
people's hygiene, and we don't go around being able to stop them from 
expressing themselves that way.
  So it certainly goes against the founding of this country to be 
oppressing people's views; and, indeed, it is contributing to, I think, 
a breaking down of our military and its strength to have this kind of 
oppression going on.
  So being able to join Mrs. Hartzler tonight here and my other 
colleagues and pointing this out to the American public and then doing 
something about it here in these Halls of Congress is a necessary 
thing. I thank my colleague for bringing this topic up tonight and 
allowing me to speak.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. I thank you for your kind words expressing how 
important it is we stand strong for our military. We want our military 
to be strong, and their ability to be able to pray and hold on to their 
faith, to express their faith is what makes them strong. It is part of 
it, so we don't want to undermine that. Thank you for those words.
  Now I turn to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Nunnelee), from 
Mississippi's First District, to hear his thoughts on this and thank 
him for his letter that he authored to the Secretary of the Army that 
got a very

[[Page 17081]]

positive response. So thank for your leadership.
  Mr. NUNNELEE. Thank you, Mrs. Hartzler, and I appreciate your 
leadership in this area.
  You know, when the Framers of our Constitution put together this 
government and submitted it to the people, the American people looked 
at it and said, You did a good job, but it is not perfect. There is 
something that is missing, and that something is a Bill of Rights 
guaranteeing individual freedoms for all Americans. And so those 10 
planks were constructed and added as part of the ratification process. 
I am convinced that if those 10 planks had not been added, the 
Constitution would not have been ratified. I do not believe it is 
insignificant that the first sentence of the First Amendment guarantees 
freedom of religion:

       Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

  And our men and women in the military take an oath of office to 
support and defend that very Constitution, but they do not surrender 
that First Amendment right immediately when they put on a uniform.
  The trend of military instructors and officers portraying Christians 
and socially conservative nonprofit organizations as ``extremists'' and 
potential threats to our Nation is unconscionable. Recently, they 
labeled the American Family Association, a group in my district that by 
their very name indicates that they are committed to the preservation 
of the American people. The fact that they are labeled as an extremist 
organization, unbelievable.
  These developments are part of what appears to be a mounting culture 
for religious intolerance and hostility towards Christians within the 
military. I do not believe that adequate steps have been taken to 
address the root cause of these incidents, and that is why I put 
together the letter that Mrs. Hartzler referred to to the Secretary of 
the Army, along with a number of my colleagues, to communicate our 
concerns regarding these developments and ask for the details on what 
the Army is doing to foster a culture of religious liberty among our 
men and women in our military.
  While our Founding Fathers prohibited the establishment of a State-
established religion, they purposely did not restrict references to God 
or personal beliefs in civic dialogue, military service, or everyday 
life.
  Mr. Speaker, the dais on which you sit, over which you preside this 
great House, has behind it the American flag. Above that flag are the 
four words of our national motto: ``In God We Trust.''
  Congress has a responsibility to fight attempts within our military 
to restrict the religious liberty of those who serve our Nation and 
work to safeguard these freedoms. It is intolerable for those brave men 
and women serving our country to be denied these very freedoms they are 
putting their lives on the line to defend.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you very much for your leadership, and for 
bringing up those excellent points.
  Now I would like to turn to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Huelskamp) 
to share his thoughts on this important topic, the military and 
religions freedom.
  Mr. HUELSKAMP. Congresswoman Hartzler, I appreciate your leadership 
on this topic. It is so essential, not just to our brave men and women 
serving in the military, but also to our foundation as a Nation.
  I would like to identify two stories that occurred in the last month 
and a half in the military. They are very troubling.
  During the government slowdown in October, the administration, it was 
reported in some parts of the media, required all chapels that were 
serviced by contract chaplains to be closed.
  In particular, I visited with Father Ray Leonard, who served a naval 
base in South Carolina. He was not informed ahead of time. He showed up 
for Saturday evening mass to a locked door at the chapel. Door locked. 
It said, Come back. Shut down. Go away. People from his congregation 
were pouring into the parking lot and were forbidden, a locked door, 
not allowed to enter. He said, I want to volunteer. I want to do it for 
free. I want to say mass. The government said no.
  Father Ray Leonard had a long history. He just had come back from 
serving as a missionary in China. His words were:

       I expected that in China. I expected a locked church door 
     in China, but not in America, not on a military base.

  The Department of Defense decided they were going to punish men and 
women of faith by locking those doors.
  Another case of a chaplain in Texas, the first day of the government 
slowdown, he was ordered to come to the office. By 10 a.m., his 
BlackBerry was taken from him. All of his contact information was taken 
from him, as was his computer. He was forbidden to answer any private 
calls. He was forbidden to answer emails. He was forbidden to 
communicate with any of the folks he was in the middle of counseling. 
Those are folks suffering from PTSD. During the entire shutdown, the 
government forbade him to serve as a chaplain.
  It is those kinds of things that you are wondering what they are 
thinking at the Department of Defense in this administration because, 
as James Madison wrote, ``conscience is the most sacred of all 
properties''--but if you refuse access to chaplains, the folks who are 
putting their lives on the line.
  I was in the White House in April when the Congressional Medal of 
Honor was granted to Father Emil Kapaun from Kansas, and the President 
talked about his great history and how he inspired Catholics and 
Protestants and Jews and Muslims at that death camp, and he received an 
award and a tremendous honor. He was a tremendous man and a tremendous 
leader, but he is the very type of person that I believe today would 
not be allowed to serve in our U.S. military. That is a shame. But most 
devastating, it is not just a shame; it is a loss to the men and women 
who are looking for that type of support, that type of encouragement, 
that type of inspiration. This was a Nation founded with his blessings, 
and then we turn around and lock the church door. We turn around and 
kick chaplains out who actually have views that differ with the 
administration. This is an attack on religious liberty in the military. 
Who will be there to defend the religious liberty of our members of the 
armed services? We are there.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you very much. We started off with a poster of 
George Washington praying at Valley Forge. We have come a long ways in 
this country. You have heard the stories tonight of how that freedom to 
express religion is under attack. It is time for the pattern of 
intimidation and intolerance and coercion to stop. It is time to 
preserve and defend religious freedom to keep America strong and keep 
our armed services strong.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________