The First Amendment Needs a Defense

Statement

Congressman Huelskamp, author of the Kansas Marriage Protection Amendment, issued the following statement on his original co-sponsorship of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), H.R. 2802. The bill would prohibit the federal government from penalizing individuals or institutions because they act based on a religious belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

"I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, because being a person of faith has real implications for how we live day-to-day. There have been more than 50 million votes in favor of traditional marriage, including the 417,627 citizens who voted for my Kansas Marriage Amendment, and they should never be punished for their beliefs. Millions of people around the country understand that, and they oppose any efforts by the government to punish anyone for speaking and acting on behalf of traditional marriage.

"Sadly, the Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage by five unelected lawyers opens the door for attacks upon our First Amendment rights of religious liberty and free speech. Government lawyers already forecast that continued tax-exempt status is at risk for organizations who oppose homosexual "marriage.'

"Bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein have been fined $135,000 and forced to close their business because they didn't want to participate in a homosexual "wedding'. A man from Montana has promised to sue if his marriage license request for to marry a second wife was denied. Just two days after the Court's decision on June 26, an article in TIME advocated the removal of tax exemptions for religious organizations who support marriage as only between one man and one woman--especially churches. Within days of the ruling, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin shockingly claimed the First Amendment only applies to institutions, not to individuals.

"No individual, church or any other group should be effectively coerced to assist, promote, support or participate in a homosexual "wedding' ceremony by the federal government, or any other entity. FADA will protect the rights of people at the federal level to disagree with these five unelected attorneys and instead obey their consciences in the matter of family, marriage, and sexuality."

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