Timothy Roemer: “Mr. Speaker, as a person that strongly believes that our religious and faith-based organizations have an important and…”

“Mr. Speaker, as a person that strongly believes that our religious and faith-based organizations have an important and vital role in potentially helping us solve problems, particularly for the poor, I rise in opposition to the underlying bill. Thomas Jefferson wrote: "Politics, like religion, hold up the torches of martyrdom to the reformers of error." The reformers of error in this instance are the authors of this bill, and they are so for two reasons: we have a very important separation, a wall, a separation of church and State in this country; and, instead of breaking it down, they are tunneling under it. On page 45 of their bill, instead of having money go directly to these institutions, we can use vouchers or certificates or other forms of reimbursement. We have rejected vouchers to our public schools; we should reject vouchers to our houses of private worship. Finally, Mr. Speaker, on the tax cut: I voted for a tax cut, a $1.3 trillion tax cut. This one is $13.3 billion. We just had $40 billion evaporate from the surplus in one month. We should not vote for more tax cuts in this body until we know what that surplus is going to be like. So on constitutional grounds and fiscally responsible grounds, we should reject this underlying bill and support the substitute.”