House Republicans are wrapping yet another pointless gay-bashing bill in the Orwellian-speak of "religious freedom." Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) has introduced H.R. 3828: Military Religious Freedom Protection Act.
Not because there is actually any danger to anyone's religious freedom.
There is a danger people will wonder what this House is doing about jobs and the economy. And with this bill Republicans are demonstrating that really isn't a pressing concern relative to the grave (but imaginary) threat to "religious freedom" in America (pity the oppressed Christians).
The bill purports to protect military chaplains from having to marry gay servicemembers. (Oh noes!)
But, for the record, the current Department of Defense directives already allow chaplains full discretion over what religious ceremonies they are comfortable with and willing to officiate. The memo reads:
A military chaplain may participate in or officiate any private ceremony, whether on or off a military installation, provided that the ceremony is not prohibited by applicable state and local law. Further, a chaplain is not required to participate in or officiate a private ceremony if doing so would be in variance with the tenets of his or her religion or personal beliefs. Finally, a military chaplain’s participation does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony by DoD.
So this pointless bill just restates what is already existing DOD policy. Which begs the question, do House Republicans not trust DOD leadership to run the military?
As Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis says:
"There is no need for the so-called 'protections' in this bill or the proposed regulations. No chaplain today is being required or pressured to marry anyone, straight or gay. Period. The bill's ban on use of military facilities and chaplains officiating at ceremonies for gay and lesbian service members is nothing more than plain, old-fashion discrimination. There is no place for that prejudice in our armed forces or in our country."
How's the working on jobs and economy coming along, Speaker Boehner?
10:56 AM PT: Human Rights Campaign has this to say:
“Rep. Huelskamp and other right wing Republican Members of Congress appear to have missed the memo from military leaders who say that open service is working just fine. Instead, in their compulsive need to use our brave men and women in uniform as political pawns, these Members of Congress have invented issues that don’t exist in order to score some points. These antics coming from Rep. Huelskamp shouldn’t be a surprise as he was the one forced to admit on the floor of the U.S. House last summer that he wanted to strip funding for training materials that he hadn’t even read."
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