Michael Burgess: “I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I will yield myself such time as…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I will yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do want to speak on the bill included within this rule, Senate amendment to H.R. 3404, the Respect for Marriage Act. Mr. Speaker, as you well know, this bill previously came before the House. Unfortunately, at the time, the legislation was a byproduct of a very truncated process, having received no committee markup and being parachuted from the Speaker's office straight to the floor. In response to the rushed House process, the Senate actually undertook a more comprehensive amendment process on the floor, giving Senators the opportunity to amend the legislation, something we did not have the opportunity to do. I am encouraged that the amended version from the Senate has tried to address some of the religious liberty concerns that myself and other Members have highlighted. Even though I can report that this bill is much improved from its original form, there are still problems with this legislation and its possible implications for religious institutions and matters of conscience. It is regrettable that certain amendments that would safeguard religious liberty, such as Senator Lee's and Congressman Roy's amendments prohibiting the government from removing a nonprofit organization's tax-exempt status based on religious beliefs, those were all blocked.…”