Religious Freedom in the Constitution
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) and also the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for putting this time together tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties as they take a stand for religious freedom against the unconstitutional coercive ObamaCare HHS mandate.
All Americans, including family businessowners, should have the freedom to live and work according to their religious values without fear of the government punishing them for doing so.
This issue of religious liberty is not limited to these two employers. Many family-owned small businesses and nonprofits across this country have expressed grave concern about this mandate from the Obama administration. It forces them to violate their deeply-held religious beliefs or face crippling penalties.
In my home State of Colorado, Hercules Industries, founded in 1962 by William Newland, a family-owned heating, ventilation, and cooling manufacturer with locations all over Colorado, including Colorado Springs, has been forced into this legal dilemma as well.
As devout Catholics, the Newland family has always worked to run their companies in a way that reflects their sincerely-held religious convictions. This is why, when the Obama administration issued this mandate to force them to violate those beliefs and provide coverage of potentially life-terminating drugs and devices, they had to file a lawsuit to protect their religious freedoms.
Hercules Industries already provides generous health insurance for their employees through a self-insured group plan. With 265 full-time employees throughout its various locations, Hercules could be facing over $9 million in government fines each year.
This comes if they refuse to violate their deeply-held religious convictions and if they don't comply with the Obama mandate to provide drugs to their employees that the Newland family believes can end human life.
What an unbearable choice the Obama administration has burdened them with. Not only is the HHS mandate an attack on religious liberty, it also puts into jeopardy jobs and health care of millions of Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I support businesses like Hercules Industries, Hobby Lobby. And Conestoga Wood Specialties because of their principled stand against this oppressive mandate. Religious freedom is a foundational component of American greatness. It is of utmost importance that we do everything we can to defend it.
I look forward to the Supreme Court's decision, and I hope and I pray that this will be a positive precedent for future religious freedom cases.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source