Todd Young: “I thank my colleague for his leadership today and every day. I really appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of…”

“I thank my colleague for his leadership today and every day. I really appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and, more broadly, H.J. Res. 43, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for her leadership and her conviction on this issue. We all want to protect the free speech and beliefs of all Americans, but too often, the line is drawn to discriminate against those with pro-life views. Ironically, this is often done under the guise of antidiscrimination, which is exactly what has happened in the District of Columbia. Under the recently passed ordinance, religious institutions and other pro-life employers in our Nation's Capital could be forced to make decisions that violate their deeply held religious beliefs. Despite the Supreme Court ruling in Hobby Lobby, for instance, under this ordinance, religious employers could be compelled to cover elective abortions in their healthcare coverage or face discrimination charges. It would also prevent faith-based employers from taking actions against employees who participate in activities that run counter to the mission of that organization. For instance, a pro-life crisis pregnancy center couldn't terminate an employee who undermines their cause by volunteering at an abortion clinic. As a strong pro-life individual myself, it boggles my mind that the government could force like-minded individuals to violate their conscience in such ways.…”