Michele Bachmann: “I thank the gentlelady from Missouri for hosting this important discussion because nothing could be more important and…”

“I thank the gentlelady from Missouri for hosting this important discussion because nothing could be more important and more basic to every American than standing on the principle of our First Amendment rights of speech and religious expression. You know, it was very interesting, just the week before last we had an expert on James Madison speaking to us, and he wrote a book about Madison. Madison is the author of our First Amendment, and we had the document in Madison's own handwriting where he had his First Amendment. James Madison crossed out the word ``full toleration'' when it came to religious liberties, and instead he inserted not just belief but also the free exercise, the acting of our beliefs. This is what America is about. We are standing here in the well of the House of Representatives, the most important forum for freedom of speech in the world, and just beyond the double doors of this Chamber lies the rotunda, and in the rotunda is a painting of the Pilgrims, and the Pilgrims are on their knees before they come to the United States. It is the ``Embarkation of the Pilgrims.'' They have open before them a copy of the Bible, the Geneva Bible, turned to the New Testament. And why was it that the Pilgrims came to the United States? They searched for religious freedom and toleration. One thing that the bill that will be before the Supreme Court tomorrow addresses is this issue: will toleration be a two-way street? I think it is.…”