Political Quotes

“Today I rise to welcome all those who have traveled to Washington, D.C., this week for the In Defense of Christians Inaugural Summit. This summit unites human rights groups and religious leaders concerned about the plight of ancient Christian minorities of the Middle East. Many of these ancient churches have survived centuries of hardship, foreign invasion, and domestic despotism. As we have seen recently in Iraq and Syria, millions are now caught up in the middle of sectarian violence and conflict and end up paying the ultimate price for it. The bedrock of our Nation's establishment was freedom of religion. But what many experience today, even here in the United States, is the subjugation of religious beliefs by a government or military decree. A people cannot be free without religious liberty. So, Mr. Speaker, again, I welcome all those who are here for the summit, and I commend them for their enduring fight for religious freedom. ____________________”