Mike Collins: “I appreciate the gentlelady yielding and being a part of this tonight and really bringing something to the forefront…”

“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.…”