Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my opposition to the conference report on S. 636, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Although this conference report contains important changes in the original legislation, most notably the extension of this bill's protections to places of religious worship and the exemption from penalty for parent's of underage daughters, it still violates equal protection by penalizing individuals for their beliefs. For instance, if a group decided to stage a peaceful protest against a hospital because of improper disposal of medical waste and on the same day a pro-life group decided to stage a peaceful protest against the hospital because they perform abortions, only the pro-life group would be prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic's Act. This would clearly be a case of the Government prosecuting someone because of their viewpoint and not because of their actions. It is unthinkable that we will be making Federal criminals out of a grandmother peacefully praying on a sidewalk or a young mother quietly handing out pamphlets with her children in front of an abortion clinic, but that is what we are doing today when we vote for this conference report. That is why I urge my colleagues to vote against this conference report. We should not take away the first amendment rights of millions of pro-life Americans.”