Zoe Lofgren: “if we take time to review the details of this bill, we will see it is bad for America. The premise that religious people…”

“if we take time to review the details of this bill, we will see it is bad for America. The premise that religious people cannot help solve America's social problems is simply wrong. I spent 14 years in local government. We worked with Catholic Charities and many others. We do not need this radical departure from the Bill of Rights to work with Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, or Jains to solve America's problems. Consider the plain language of the first amendment: ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.'' I think that is clear. But this bill would take tax money and give it directly to churches. How can that not run afoul of the constitutional prohibition against the establishment of religion? Our country was started by people seeking religious freedom to worship, and this fundamental American value was put in the very first amendment to our Constitution. When government becomes involved in establishing or preferring religions, trouble follows.”