Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., harshly criticized the Biden administration for failing to protect the religious liberty of conscience protections that are already in law.
A nurse in a Vermont hospital was forced to participate in an abortion procedure against her conscience early during the Biden administration, Lankford lamented to the Daily Mail.
"They literally just trampled on her conscience rights," Lankford told the Mail, adding the Biden administration did not take up the case to stand by her First Amendment-protected objections.
This has caused a "chilling effect on religious entities," and ultimately gives employers to ignore the conscience of its workers, according to Lankford, who served for 22 years in religious ministry before entering politics.
"For me, protecting the rights of a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, a Sikh, an atheist, whatever it may be, to be able to have their own personal expression of their faith is really important," Lankford told the Mail, warning this "basic right" has been challenged under the Biden administration.
The senator also said the controversy over abortion in the United States is not going to go away, noting the issue will be a central part of next year's presidential election.
"It's not just an election issue; it is an issue about our culture," Lankford stressed to the Mail, saying he believes all children are valuable and not "disposable things" that can be thrown away.
A year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, about half the states have enacted some abortion restrictions, while the other half have increased abortion access or done nothing.
This means, Lankford warned, the focus should shift to the national level.
"But let's not just ignore this and say this is an inconvenience issue," he concluded.
"There's always an inconvenience with a child, so this is not about convenience. This is about how much do we value the life of each individual."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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