Did You Know...

Democrat Rep. Dianne DeGette of Colorado is leading the charge to keep abortion funding in the Obamacare/Pelosicare government health care takeover bill.

She is fuming over the exercise of political speech by leaders of faith who oppose government abortion subsidies.

She wants to shut them up:

[DeGette] also said that religiously-affiliated groups like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which had pushed for the Stupak provision, should have a place in the process, but not the final say.

“Last I heard, we had separation of church and state in this country,” she said. “I’ve got to say that I think that the Catholic bishops and all of the other groups shouldn’t have input.”

Not only is she a constitutional ignoramus, she’s a pure thug trying to chill the participation of religious organizations in one of the most important policy debates of the year.

Tony Perkins at the Family Research Council calls her out:

“Rep. DeGette’s comments are stunning. According to her, if a group of people who are in association with one another because of their Christian faith, they should not have a voice in the crafting of public policy. What she is asserting is that if your ideas and actions are a product of your faith, you’re a second-class citizen and your voice should not be heard.

“Additionally, Rep. DeGette’s hypocrisy on this matter is breathtaking. In a speech given at her alma mater, Colorado College, she speaks of her involvement with the liberal Faith and Politics Institute (http://gos.sbc.edu/d/degette.html). Apparently, in her view, it’s OK to be involved in politics and have religious faith – but only as long as you agree with her.

“I am sure the Founders never envisioned elected Representatives which would not have a grasp of the most basic concepts of the Constitution. It may be time for an amendment requiring members of Congress to take a basic proficiency test on at least the Bill of Rights.

“Her religious bigotry is a far cry from what the Founders believed. Several months after the British surrender at Yorktown, George Washington, in a letter to the Reformed German Congregation of New York, wrote, ‘The establishment of civil and religious liberty was the motive which induced me to the field (of combat).’ Sadly, Diana DeGette seems eager to smother these precious freedoms, neither of which can exist without the other.

“Rep. DeGette’s comments serve to only further confirm that this takeover is not about health care, it is about a radical social policy in which the expansion of abortion, at taxpayer expense, is at the very center of this effort.

“I call on President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid to immediately repudiate this religious bigotry and reaffirm the Constitutional right of all Americans including people of faith to participate in this critical debate.

“Congresswoman DeGette’s personal convictions, informed by her view of God, human dignity and personal liberty, inform her public actions. So do ours. People of faith and their representatives have every right, and even a moral duty, to petition their government for a redress of grievances.”

DeGette’s contact info:

Denver Office
600 Grant Street
Suite 202
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 844-4988
Fax: (303) 844-4996

Washington, D.C. Office
2335 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4431
Fax: (202) 225-5657

***

I’m sure DeGette had no problem when Catholic groups were funding left-wing groups.

Update: Michael O’Brien of The Hill e-mails:

Hi Michelle,

I saw your blog on Rep. DeGette, and I felt obligated to set the record straight. I screwed up and misheard DeGette during her interview. She said religious groups should have input on healthcare, but not the final say. I updated my post last night to reflect this, and have been working with FRC to correct the quote.

I apologize for the misunderstanding, and I feel totally embarrassed — but I really wanted to flag this for accuracy.

Best,

Mike

Sounds to me like Mike must have gotten a lot of blowback from DeGette. The new, revised quote doesn’t make much sense given her retort that “
“Last I heard, we had separation of church and state in this country.”