Purpose
Throughout the more than 200-year history of our nation, prayer has played a vital role in strengthening the fabric of our society. The purposes of the Congressional Prayer Caucus are to 1) recognize the vital role that prayer by individuals of all faiths has played in uniting us as a people and in making us a more generous, more cooperative, and more forgiving people than we might otherwise have been; 2) collect, exchange, and disseminate information about prayer as a fundamental and enduring feature of American life; 3) use the legislative process – both through sponsorship of affirmative legislation and through opposition to detrimental legislation – to assist the nation and its people in continuing to draw upon and benefit from this essential source of our strength and well-being.

History
In 2005, Congressman J. Randy Forbes gathered a small group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives who began meeting in Room 219 of the Capitol to pray for our nation. These Members later formed The Congressional Prayer Caucus – an official Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives – to formally acknowledge the important role that prayer plays in American life and history and to monitor and work to guard the right of individuals in America to pray.  Currently, Congressman Forbes and Congressman Mike McIntyre serve as the co-chairmen of this Caucus.  Today, the Prayer Caucus has grown to a bipartisan group of 68 Members dedicated to protecting religious liberty and recognizing our nations’ rich, spiritual history.

Prayer Caucus Video
To view a video of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, click here.