Washington, D.C. - Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) praised the passage of his bill to protect the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. “This is an essential step in stopping the overreach of activist judges and will free from the threat of censorship the vast majority of children and adults who wish to use the words “under God in the recitation of the pledge of allegiance.”
“I am grateful for the support of the bill’s 225 cosponsors including the hard work and leadership of Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL).” said Akin.
Exercising Article III of the Constitution, the Act protects the Pledge of Allegiance by removing from the jurisdiction of the federal Courts the question of the Pledge’s constitutionality. HR 2028 is expected to be approved by the Judiciary Committee and to receive a favorable vote in the full U.S. House next week.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that had ruled the Pledge unconstitutional by ruling that the non-custodial parent who brought the suit lacked standing.
“We are moving closer to the goal of protecting the free speech of those who wish to affirm their faith in God as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” said Akin. “When the right to free speech is being threatened in such an egregious fashion it is incumbent upon congress to act to protect that right to speech from a runaway judiciary.”
“Our Declaration of Independence affirms that God is the source of our rights. When we jettison that conviction from the Pledge, we erode the very foundation of the rights that define our identity as Americans.
“I look forward to working with Senator Jim Talent on his companion Senate bill and encourage the entire Senate to join in affirming the rights of citizens to express their basic beliefs and to speak the words ‘under God’ as a vital part of our national heritage,” concluded Akin.
