Bill Flores: “I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 43, to formally disapprove…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 43, to formally disapprove of the recent measure passed by the District of Columbia that clearly violates religious liberty. I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Tennessee, for her work on this important issue. I urge all of my colleagues to join her in reaffirming Congress' commitment to protecting our First Amendment rights. Despite its name, the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act does, in fact, discriminate against those who exercise their right to live according to their religious beliefs. The D.C. measure tells values-based organizations that they may no longer live and work according to the very principles that they advocate. A Christian school would be required to pay for health insurance policies that include provisions that violate the beliefs that they teach their students. In addition, a pro-life organization would be forced to hire individuals regardless of their commitment to pro-life values. Simply put, the D.C. Council measure compels Americans to act in clear violation of their conscience. In doing so, they ignore the opinion of most Americans, Supreme Court precedent, and the First Amendment to our Constitution. More than 80 percent of Americans agree that individuals should be free to run their businesses and their organizations according to their beliefs, without the government telling them what to do.…”