Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Republican from Michigan's 11th District, introduced House Resolution 453 on Sep 20, 2005 expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to a court decision relating to the Pledge of Allegiance. It was then submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary. On Oct. 17, 2005 it was referred to the House Subcommittee on the Constitution.
House Resolution 453 resolves that, "it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
(1) the phrase `one Nation, under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag reflects historically factual religious faith central to the lives of the Founders and the founding of our Nation;
(2) the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, including the phrase, `one Nation, under God' is a patriotic act, not an act or statement of religious faith or belief;
(3) the phrase `one Nation, under God' should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the practice of voluntarily reciting the pledge in public school classrooms should not only continue but should be encouraged by the policies of Congress, the various States, municipalities, and public school officials;
(4) because the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance preserves and promotes our Republic's vital virtue of citizenship amongst our children, the school district where the legal challenge to the pledge originated, the Elk Grove Unified School District in Elk Grove, California, is recognized and commended for its continued support of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag;
(5) the ruling by United States District Judge Lawrence Karlton is inconsistent with the Supreme Court's interpretation of the first amendment, which indicates the voluntary recitation of the pledge and similar patriotic expressions is consistent with the first amendment; and
(6) the Attorney General should appeal the ruling in Newdow v. United States Congress, and the Supreme Court should review this ruling in order to correct this constitutionally infirm and historically incorrect ruling which infringes upon and endangers the inalienable rights of all Americans."
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