Barbara Kennelly: “this Nation rests on a foundation of religious liberty. None of our freedoms are more jealously guarded. I would urge my…”

“this Nation rests on a foundation of religious liberty. None of our freedoms are more jealously guarded. I would urge my colleagues to approach this amendment very cautiously, because it could very well undermine the freedom we so cherish. The truth is, this amendment is not about religious freedom, which is already guaranteed in the United States of America. It is not about religious expression in public places, which is permitted under current law. The amendment is about something else, about allowing one person's religious commitment to encroach on another's, about letting a student prayer leader use school microphones to lead class prayer, or letting a judge lead jurors in prayer. I am deeply concerned about the impact this amendment could have on public education. This amendment could require public funding of nonpublic religious schools and shifting dollars and resources from our public system at a time when public schools are literally crumbling and our education system is struggling to keep the resources in our classrooms and keep our students at pace. I urge my colleagues not to do this today.”