The Congressional Prayer Caucus

Floor Speech

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Mr. LANKFORD. It is absolutely my honor to have the chance to be here as well to be able to speak out on the issue that was critical in the foundation of our own Constitution and of our Nation as a whole, and that is the right to believe.

We in America have this unique thing, the right to believe or the right to not have a belief at all; but if you believe, to also have the right to actually live what you believe. It is this unique American freedom that people around the world sometimes stare at with awe because they are bound to have a certain set of beliefs to be in that country, but not so with us in America. You can have a belief, not have a belief; but if you have one, you may live your faith.

Coptic Christians in Egypt would love to be able to live their faith and not live in fear right now. The Baha'i in Iran would love to be able to live out their faith and not live in fear right now. The Christians in Syria would love to be able to live out their faith and not live in fear. And the multiple religions that try to practice in countries like China and Vietnam and other places that constantly live in fear because of their own faith would love to have that. But not so in America. Whether you be a Member of Congress, whether you be an individual in the administration, whether you be any person walking down the streets of America, you have the right to be able to live out your faith, and it is essential for us. It's a great value that we share, but it is essential that we also continue to protect. And on days like today, it is ironic that we are discussing again this unique value to say: Can we still live out our faith as Americans?

Let me just give you a couple of examples where the challenge has been put to the test recently. It wasn't but a couple of years ago that the Obama administration challenged the Missouri Synod Church on whether that church and Hosanna-Tabor could choose their own minister or whether they would be fought from the outside, that the government could step into the church and say, No, we have to help be a part of selecting who the minister is. That was argued all the way until it got to the Supreme Court, where they lost 9-0, and the Supreme Court reaffirmed again that a church has the right to select their own minister.

It is ironic that we are dealing with a great business that employs thousands upon thousands of people around the country, called Hobby Lobby, that the founders of that company are Christians, they live out their faith--they practiced their faith from when they were a craft/framing shop in the garage of the family, and they continue to practice that business the exact same way now--to say: Can they live out their faith?

They are currently facing a set of fines right now where the administration has stepped in to say, if you provide health care insurance that we choose, you're fine; if you don't provide any insurance at all, I'm going to fine you $2,000; but if you provide insurance that doesn't meet the administration's religious belief, you will be fined, as a company, $36,500 per employee.

Let me run that past you again. In a country where you are free to live out your faith, if this particular company chooses not to provide insurance that violates their faith and it doesn't follow up with the administration's policy, they will be fined $36,500 per employee per year. And so they changed their insurance to meet the faith of the administration. It's not right. We are a place where we cannot only have a belief in a label, but also choose to live out that label. That's important for us as a Nation.

Two things that I wanted to be able to encourage us as well. One is that students, on September 25--just a few days from now--will stand at flag poles around this Nation. They will gather early in the morning before other kids even get up and stand at a flag pole for an annual celebration called ``See You at the Pole,'' where students will gather to pray. It's not a demonstration; it's not a declaration. It is just students doing publicly what they do privately every single day, and that's pray for our Nation. They can do that because of our freedom.

Today, I remember three Oklahomans that 2 years ago lost their life in Afghanistan. They are heroes. They were individuals that were protecting the freedom of people they had never met and protecting our Nation.

Jane Horton, one of the widows, not long after her husband, Chris, was killed in Afghanistan, dropped by my office and got a chance to visit with me. We talked for a long time, and she handed me a tie that her husband had. I chose to wear it today, 2 years after he was killed, so that we would not forget those who stand for our freedom and that we will not forget what they have done for us and our Nation.

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