Marlin Stutzman: “It's a privilege to be here to stand on the House floor with my colleagues this evening and discuss an issue that is…”

“It's a privilege to be here to stand on the House floor with my colleagues this evening and discuss an issue that is facing Americans today that really we should not be standing here talking about. We face tough economic times, but instead we have to be dealing with the administration's rule that he is implementing that came out of the health care bill passed several years ago. This is a freedom-of- religion issue. This issue is not about birth control. This issue is about government control. I'd like to share a couple of lines from our founding documents that I think are very important. I think one thing that has happened over the past couple of years is that Americans have become more familiar with our Constitution, because I believe the Constitution has the answers for the problems that we face today. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to share this particular line that actually influenced the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment: All men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience. That is found in the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The First Amendment says this: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today and I believe that this is a threat to our freedoms.…”