. >> reporter: david sapperstein is a well respected scholar who is about to become ambassador at large for religious freedom. >> when it comes to the work of protecting religious freedom, it is safe to say that david sapperstein represents the gold standard. >> reporter: skeptics say they are worried about his views including his decision to author a letter to every house member in 2000 urging them to vote against the ban on partial birth abortions which became law in 2003. there are questioning his definition of religious freedom giving comments he made regarding the supreme court's hobby lobby decision which found the government cannot force corporations to provide cost free access to contraceptives company owners believe cause abortions in violation of their personal religious convictions. >> the real problem is the hobby lobby case. by giving religious exemptions to a broad category of employers, millions of employers in this country, and allowing them to make religious claims to discriminate on the basis of religion this is deeply, deeply troubling. >> reporter: dr. russell moore

that is rabbi david sapperstein.i would like to say a few words about the events in gaza and what we're trying to do. i just returned from the middle wereand paris, where there a series of discussions about the escalating the conflict, tunnelthe rocket and attacks against israeli citizens and easing the suffering of innocent people everywhere. in gaza, and israel, in the west bank. we are continuing to work toward establishing an unconditional humanitarian cease-fire, one period thatonor the ends now and stop the fighting, allowing medicine and desperately needed supplies to gaza. and to address the threat that we fully understand, and which is real, the threat posed by tunnel attacks. and to be able to do so without having to resort to combat. that is what will come from a cease-fire. we believe the momentum generated by a humanitarian cease-fire is the best way to be able to begin to negotiate and find out if you can put in place a sustainable cease-fire, one that addresses all the concerns. the long-term concerns

this morning after a nine-month vacancy, the white house announced the nomination of rabbi david sapperstein to be for mbassador at large religion. he's been engaged on this issue for a long time. i welcome this nomination. it is a good nomination and i ask the senate to confirm rabbi sapperstein quickly. on friday the house passed legislation that creates the position of special envoy for religious minorities in the middle east and south central asia. this was a bipartisan legislation that was introduced with congressman anna eshoo and myself. our office worked closely with our former colleague, senator roy blunt. i ask our president to sign this bill quickly and to fill this position as quickly as possible. time is of the essence. we cannot afford to wait any longer. christianity, as we now know it, is being wiped out before our very eyes in iraq. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. gallego, for five minutes. mr. allego: thank you, speaker. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. thank you, mr. speake

it is safe to say that david sapperstein represents the gold standard. think about the years of elevating this fight and david has been at the lead every step of the way, serving as the first chair of the u.s. international religious freedom commission, director of the religious action center for reformed judaism and as a member of the white house council on faith-based and neighborhood partnerships. david's resume is not just a list of titles or positions. that's why he pushed for the u.s. government to engage in partnerships with communities that work across faith lines. that's why he's worked to forge deeper partnerships with women of faith networks, to advance peace and development, and that's why he's worked to engage american muslim communities and their groups on global muslim engagement affairs. that's why he made it his mission to promote tolerance and mutual understanding in sudan. i have witnessed his exceptional skill, his patience, his ability to listen, his sense of humor and his tenacity as an advocate over the course of my years on capito

newly-minted nominee as our next ambassador at large for international religious freedom, rabbi david sappersteinwhen it comes to the work of protecting religious freedom, it is safe to say that david represents the gold standard. think about the progress of the last 20 years in elevating this fight, and david has been at lead every step of the way. serving as the first chair of the u.s. international religious freedom commission, director of the religious, the religious action center for reformed judaism, and as a member of the white house council on faith-based and neighborhood partnerships. but david's resumÉ is not just a list of titles or positions. that's why he pushed for the u.s. government to engage in partnerships with communities that work across faith lines. that's why he's worked to forge deeper partnerships with women, faith networks to advance peace and development. and that's why he's worked to engage american-muslim communities and their groups on global muslim engagement affairs. and that's why he made it his mission to promote kohl answer and mutual -- promote tolerance and mut