Louise Slaughter: “I never thought that an occasion would occur when I would have to rise and ask my colleagues to refrain from gutting the…”

“I never thought that an occasion would occur when I would have to rise and ask my colleagues to refrain from gutting the First Amendment to the Constitution. One would expect that after 200 years the Bill of Rights would have garnered a little respect in Congress, but gutting the First Amendment is exactly what this bill would do today. This religious freedom amendment is dangerous in that it breaches the constitutionally guaranteed separation of church and State, thereby reducing religious liberty and equality. Moreover, it would allow official school prayer and government funding of religious institutions. The most tragic results of this amendment, though, is that it sows the seeds of strife and divisiveness that the Bill of Rights was designed to protect us from. This level of debate denigrates both the Bill of Rights and this institution, and it also threatens the notion of religious tolerance that has made our country unique.”