Nifla V. Becerra

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland, Dr. Harris, for his leadership on the most sacred of issues.

Mr. Speaker, in the shadow of over 60 million precious American lives aborted in the United States, there is light. This light shines through the roughly 2,000 pro-life pregnancy centers in communities across our Nation, including mine in west Texas. These pregnancy centers are dedicated to serving 2.3 million women a year. That is 6,500 a day.

Because of their good work, providing ultrasounds, medical services, and parenting classes, and even ministering to their deeper emotional and spiritual needs, these pregnancy centers save lives, hundreds of thousands of lives.

You see, Mr. Speaker, they believe, like a lot of us do, that all life is a gift from God and deserves their constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But now these pro-life pregnancy centers in California are being forced by law to advertise in a way that goes directly against their mission and, more importantly, their conscience.

The State of California mandates that these pregnancy centers disclose how patients can obtain a State-sponsored abortion. California, in my opinion, is abusing the power of the State to force people to post messages they do not believe in and which violate their conscience.

Government coercion of speech or conduct that violates the religious conscience of an individual is in direct violation of the First Amendment. The Founders intentionally listed the right to freely express our religious beliefs first because they recognized the vital role faith in God plays in cultivating a moral foundation necessary for this democratic society.

While this inherent right to religious expression is being undermined, the Constitution could not be clearer on this question. I am confident the Supreme Court will uphold this sacred right against the heavy hand of government coercion.

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