Senators Politicize and Gut First Amendment

Catholic Voters Look to November to Restore Rights

CHICAGO, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch issued the following statement following today's vote on the Blunt Amendment in the United States Senate:

"Voters across America watched today as a majority of the United States Senate voted to gut the First Amendment of our Constitution by failing to protect the religious freedom of all Americans. 

"Today's vote was in response to a controversy the Obama administration chose to create.  The President and his Secretary of Health and Human Services have divided the country with an unprecedented assault on our first freedom - the right to believe - by forcing every American to pay for medicines and procedures that millions of Americans find morally objectionable.  And now a majority of the United States Senate has chosen to affirm this assault on people of faith, endangering all those served by religiously affiliated organizations.

"Make no mistake, this mandate is unconstitutional and will be overturned by the courts or by the American people by electing a majority of Senators who will stand up for religious liberty. 

"We call upon all voters of faith, and all citizens who believe in freedom to hold accountable every Senator who voted against the First Amendment today."

Background on CatholicVote.org:
CatholicVote.org was launched in September 2008 as a new effort to educate, organize, and mobilize the Catholic vote.  The national group was responsible for one of the most watched online commercials during the 2008 presidential campaign, watched by nearly 3 million viewers on YouTube alone.  The group also received national attention for a second life-affirming viral ad depicting ultrasound images celebrating the life of President Obama.  The popular website hosts the award winning American Papist blog, along with other political commentary relevant to Catholic voters.  The organization regularly communicates with nearly 600,000 email subscribers and supporters.

SOURCE CatholicVote.org