Expressing Sense of Congress Regarding Need for Continued Availability of Religious Services to Members of the Armed Services

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of the concurrent resolution offered by my colleague, Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, a dedicated chaplain and Iraq veteran of the United States Air Force Reserve. His resolution goes to the heart of our constitutionally guaranteed ability to worship without interference. I thank him for bringing it to the floor.

The resolution expresses the sense of Congress regarding the need for the continued availability of religious services to members of the Armed Forces and their families during a lapse of appropriations. As a grateful dad, with my wife, Roxanne, of four sons currently serving in the military, I know firsthand the importance of chaplains, such as Steve Shugart and Brian Bohlman.

Specifically, it addresses the issue this House became aware of yesterday--that religious services for military personnel are being curtailed, or not offered at all, because Federal civilian employees serving as chaplains, or personnel contracted to perform the duties of military chaplains, have been furloughed.

This is an extremely important issue for all of us to work together. There is no doubt that the furloughing of personnel hired or contracted to perform the duties of military chaplains is having an effect. Just in this region, church services, baptisms, weddings have been curtailed. For example, the Active Duty priest at the Navy Yard canceled mass there. He is needed at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling. It is a larger church and they don't have a priest there this weekend.

At Fort Belvoir, half of the masses have been canceled.

The impact is even more severe overseas, where options for worship are far more limited than in the United States.

What is more disturbing is that General Schedule Federal civilian and contractor chaplains are being told that if they do come to their jobs they will be trespassing. This is just not right.

The performance of religious services and the provision of ministry are protected activities under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. If the Department of the Interior can permit World War II veterans in performance of First Amendment activities to visit the memorial constructed to honor their service, then certainly the Secretary of Defense can permit similar First Amendment activities.

The Secretary can and must allow military chaplains and other personnel, including contract personnel, hired to perform duties of a military chaplain to perform religious services and ministry in the same manner and to the same extent as such chaplains and other personnel are otherwise permitted to perform religious services and ministry when there is an appropriation. It is that simple.

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge the Secretary of Defense to do the simple thing, the right thing: allow all chaplains of the Armed Forces, be they military, Federal civilian employees or contractors, to minister unhindered to the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States.

I congratulate my colleague, Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, chaplain of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, for bringing this resolution to the floor and urge all Members to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I want to, again, commend Mr. Smith. He, indeed, has reached across to try to work together. By referencing the shutdown in 1995, there is a difference, and it begins at the top.

Sadly, the President of the United States 2 weeks ago last night called to announce he was not going to negotiate. In the 1995 shutdown there was communication between the President and the Speaker prior to a shutdown and during the entire shutdown.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana, Dr. John Fleming, my friend and colleague.

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