Chris Smith: “Again, this legislation permits houses of worship to receive the same type of generally available assistance in picking…”

“Again, this legislation permits houses of worship to receive the same type of generally available assistance in picking up the pieces after stunning devastation that many other similarly situated nonprofits receive. Thus, the bill not only passes the test of constitutionality, it passes the test of basic decency. Indeed, to do otherwise would be to single out churches for adverse treatment, which is in itself constitutionally suspect. The Supreme Court held, Madam Speaker, in Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, that ``at a minimum, the protections of the Free Exercise Clause pertain if the law at issue discriminates against some or all religious beliefs.'' And in Employment Division v. Smith, the Court held that under the Free Exercise Clause, the State may not ``impose special disabilities on the basis of religious views or religious status.'' To continue to single houses of worship out for discrimination does not express government neutrality; it expresses government hostility. And there's no place for government hostility toward religion under our Constitution. I thank the gentleman for yielding.”