Chip Cravaack: “I will be brief because my message is clear and concise. I rise today out of grave concern for this most recent assault…”

“I will be brief because my message is clear and concise. I rise today out of grave concern for this most recent assault on our religious freedom, the First Amendment, and our freedom of conscience. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' order requiring every Catholic institution larger than a single church--and even in some cases a single church--to pay for contraceptives, sterilization, and morning-after abortifacients for its employees is directly contrary to the principles of the Catholic faith. Let us ensure we do not confuse the issue here. This is a direct attack against religious liberty for all religions-- but forcing Catholic schools, hospitals, Catholic charities to comply with a Federal mandate that violates the core moral commitment of protecting the lives of the unborn is unconscionable. This act threatens to sabotage the very foundations of our First Amendment rights and our religious liberties. Continually chipping away at our basic constitutional freedoms that set the foundation of this great country sends us down a very slippery slope to further government overreach and intrusion into our individual lives. This must stop, and we as Americans must stop it. ____________________”