John Bel Edwards: “I think it does disservice to the importance of this issue of religious freedom that out of 435 Members of the House, we…”

“I think it does disservice to the importance of this issue of religious freedom that out of 435 Members of the House, we are debating it in 1 hour, something Mr. Madison and Mr. Jefferson spent 10 years debating in the Virginia legislature. We are debating this in 1 hour, with 4 or 5 Members of the House on this floor. I think that, frankly, in my book, is a sacrilege. There is no greater principle in American democracy than religious freedom. It is the first freedom upon which all other freedoms are built. If one thinks government involvement in religion protects religious freedom, then I would suggest you vote for this ill-advised and dangerous piece of legislation. If one agrees with our Founding Fathers, with the Bill of Rights, the first 16 words thereof, with Mr. Madison and Mr. Jefferson, that the greatest threat to religious freedom in this world is government intrusion into religion, I would suggest you vote ``no'' on this legislation. This legislation is a direct effort to make it more difficult to enforce the Bill of Rights, and that is wrong. That is why we should vote ``no.''”