Political Quotes

On the recordFebruary 25, 2021
All of the constitutional arguments being advanced today by our colleagues have been decisively repudiated and rejected by their hero, Justice Antonin Scalia, in the 1990 decision Employment Division v. Smith, where Justice Scalia, for the Court, emphasized that there is no religious free exercise exemption from secular laws of universal application, including civil rights laws, including child labor laws, including child abuse laws. And every scoundrel in American history has tried to dress up his or her opposition to other people's civil rights in religious garb. We saw that in 1964, in the Heart of Atlanta Motel case and in the Ollie's Barbecue case, where motel owners, hotel owners, lunch counter owners came in and said: We have a religious free exercise right not to serve interracial groups or interracial couples. We don't want to allow an interracial couple--you get where I am going.
Said by
Jamie Raskin
Democratic · Maryland

Share & report

More from Jamie Raskin

Jan 22, 2025

May I inquire as to the time remaining. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Palmer). The gentleman from Maryland has 6 minutes remaining.

govinfo.gov
Feb 12, 2025

I know they talk about the deranged Trump syndrome. Now they are talking about the deranged Musk syndrome. I do know that Steve Bannon has described him as a truly evil individual, so I understand that there are major conflicts emerging…

govinfo.gov
Jun 24, 2025

Whistleblowers are the first line of defense to hold those in power accountable.

commondreams.org
Jul 17, 2025

There cannot be two separate systems of justice, one for the vast majority of American people and another for power elites who know people and can get away with this stuff.

huffpost.com

Other voices in this conversation