The Fabric that Binds

The Fabric that Binds

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement in support of H.R. 2389, the Pledge Protection Act, which passed the House by a vote of 260 to 167:

"For decades children have been reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms across America. The Pledge of Allegiance is an important civic ritual—it binds us together as Americans.

"Last year, that daily ritual was halted by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court actually enjoined the teachers and children of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington from reciting the pledge of allegiance as they had for decades in their classrooms.

"What was the court's reasoning? The words 'under God' constituted a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. According to the court, it is unconstitutional to lead students—even voluntarily—in the Pledge of Allegiance because it includes the phrase 'under God.'

"No one ever thought that there was a constitutional problem with the Pledge until some 9th U.S . Circuit Court of Appeals judges got a hold of it. Judges should not be able to rewrite the Pledge. Passing this bill will protect the Pledge from activist courts."

Rep. Blunt, who managed debate on the issue on the House floor today, is an original co-sponsor of the Pledge Protection Act, which will prevent lower federal courts from ruling on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance.

http://www.roybluntforcongress.com/newsdetailed.asp?id=87