From Senator DeMint, via NRO’s The Corner:
Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) made the following statement after Democrats voted 43-54 against his amendment to strike language from the economic stimulus bill that discriminates against students of faith. Senator DeMint’s amendment would have eliminated a provision that bans any university or college receiving funds to renovate buildings, from allowing “sectarian instruction” or “religious worship” within the facility. This would in effect bar use of campus buildings for groups like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, Catholic Student Ministries, Hillel, and other religious organizations.
“This is a direct attack on students of faith, and I’m outraged Democrats are using an economic stimulus bill to promote discrimination,” said Senator DeMint. “Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for siding with the ACLU over millions of students of faith. These students simply want equal access to public facilities, which is their constitutional right. This hostility toward religion must end. Those who voted to for this discrimination are standing in the schoolhouse door to deny people of faith from entering any campus building renovated by this bill.
“This is now an ACLU stimulus designed to trigger lawsuits designed to intimidate religious organizations across the nation. This language is so vague, it’s not clear if students can even pray in a dorm room renovated with this funding since that is a form of ‘religious worship.’ If this provision remains in the bill, it will have a chilling effect on students of faith in America.
“It is in hard times that our society most needs faith. It provides the light that no darkness can overcome. This provision is an attempt to extinguish that light from college campuses, from the lives of our youth.
A tip of the hat to Democrat Senators Bayh and Conrad who voted with the GOP on this amendment – and shame on the rest of the Senate Democrats for allowing themselves to be bamboozled into essentially backing anti-religious discrimination.
In the end, what this really highlights is the need for openness which Obama alleged he would bring to DC. Of course, Obama isn’t responsible for whomever inserted this provision into the “stimulus” bill, but he is the guy trying to rush things through…and a rushed bill is a bill where you get these sorts of provisions which wouldn’t see the light of day if they were given a full public hearing. Here is yet another reason to delay matters – we do need to ensure that if our tax dollars are going to schools that these schools don’t discriminate against students of faith.
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