On the recordNovember 16, 2016
1 year ago I came to the Senate floor for a series of eight speeches on a subject central to the identity and character of our country's religious freedom. As Congress unanimously declared less than two decades ago, religious freedom undergirds the very origin and existence of the United States. In that series of remarks, I started with the first principles to establish why religious freedom matters and must be given special protection. I reviewed the central role of religious freedom and the central role that religious freedom has played in shaping our country beginning long before independence. I have an example of how I phrased it on this chart. From the earliest settlers to the revolutionary generation, to the 19th century, to the modern day, religious freedom has been a driving force in American life. Without the quest for religious liberty, there would be no United States, and without the continued guarantee of religious freedom, there can be no American ideal. I also outlined the substance and status of religious freedom in America. In other words, I answered the questions of what religious freedom is and how important it is. From the pen of James Madison to the words of the First Amendment, from statutes to international treaties, religious freedom has always been understood to include both belief and behavior in public and in private, collectively and individually.…
