On the recordFebruary 29, 2012
Women have signed this, and one of the things they say is, they are proud to work for institutions that contribute to their community. Let me quote from that letter. They value ``the shared sense of purpose found among colleagues who choose their job because, in a religious institution, a job is . . . also a vocation.'' These women are Americans who believe this mandate by the Federal Government, interfering with religious liberty, is wrong. I will wrap up my piece of this colloquy by again thanking the Senator from Missouri for his leadership in this area. The President has said he offered an accommodation. The accommodation is, woe, lo and behold, this is going to be free. Now, I would like to know what legal authority he relies upon that the President could ever order anyone to offer a service or an item for free. He has no such authority. This is not the Soviet Union; this is the United States of America. We do not believe that for a moment. Of course we are going to be paying for this through our insurance premiums. Well, my hope is we will read our Constitution and we will stand as a united front upholding religious freedom, which is being violated by this mandate. I thank the Chair.
