Political Quotes

“Today we celebrate 25 years of observing Religious Freedom Day. On this day, more than 200 years ago, our forefathers in the Virginia General Assembly sought to practice their respective religions freely, so they passed a State law which secured our ability to exercise our faith freely today. The context of this initial law formed the inspiration for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Our country holds among its most fundamental freedoms the right to practice freely one's religion and associate with others who share those same beliefs. As we know from experience, freedom is not without cost and it is not free. It must be protected and nourished, and our communities of faith, in particular, need to be safeguarded from government encroachment and intrusion. It is with this in mind, Mr. Speaker, that I will continue to work with my colleagues to defend our First Amendment and our communities of faith on Religious Freedom Day and every day. ____________________”