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House Passes Two Bills Protecting Religious Heritage
Posted by Randy | February 01, 2012

Last week, the House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that would protect the freedom of religion in America and literally etch portions of our religious history in stone.

WWII Memorial Prayer Act, H.R. 2070 
In recent years there has been some controversy regarding the omission of the phrase “so help us God” in an inscription excerpting President Roosevelt's address to Congress following the attacks on Pearl Harbor.  The National Park Service claims the phrase was excluded because it was not spoken at the point in the address from which the excerpt was derived.  This legislation directs the inscription of President Franklin Roosevelt’s historic “D-Day Prayer” at the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.  The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 386-26.

War Memorial Protection Act, H.R. 290
Legislation to allow religious symbols to be included in military monuments was introduced after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declared a cross that stands at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in California and that serves as a centerpiece of the Korean War Memorial to be an unconstitutional “government endorsement of religion.” This legislation ensures that memorials commemorating the U.S. Armed Forces may contain religious symbols. The bill passed the House by a voice vote.

There may come a day when a generation of Americans is willing to turn its back on our nation's religious heritage, but I am working to make sure that today is not that day and this is not that generation.

Follow my work on this issue here.

Comments
Users are solely responsible for the opinions they post here and their comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Congressman Forbes.
  • Thomas G commented on 2/1/2012
    This is fine, but turning one's back on the middle class, as well as the poor, is also testimony to a sad and dangerous trend in the congress of all places. To refuse to even bring up for vote the president's JOBS ACT, now for 145 straight days is frankly shameful. It was bad enough congressman Forbes that you did not show up to vote for the middle class tax cut extension but you did show up in support of millionaire and billionaire tax cuts widely seen as major contributors to our debt problem. In fact, you voted to shove our nation into default against the overwhelming will of the public. I wonder what president Franklin Roosevelt would say about that sir?
  • John Concannon commented on 2/1/2012
    Can staff give me an idea of where in the U.S. Constitution is the basis for H.R. 2070 and H. R. 290? If there is to be a tie in with the Constitution I would like to know where is the basis for these two resolutions. I acknowledge a difference of opinion with Rep. Forbes, but the Speaker and Rep. Cantor have the tie in with the Constitution as part of legislation. Don't they?
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