Representatives affirm the right of school kids to include "under God."
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Pledge Protection Act — H.R. 2389 — 260 to 167. The act seeks to remove cases involving the Pledge of Allegiance from the jurisdiction of federal courts.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., is in response to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2002 that declared the Pledge unconstitutional because of the words "under God." The Supreme Court overturned the decision, stating that atheist Michael Newdow did not have standing to bring the case.
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Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals banned 'under God' from the Pledge, it was out of step with the American public and the spirit of the Constitution.
"Nearly 90 percent of Americans believe 'under God' should remain in the Pledge and that students should be allowed to recite the Pledge," he said. "I am pleased to see Congress exercising its constitutional authority to check the power of the courts which have tried to strip 'God' from the Pledge of Allegiance."
The Pledge Protection Act, Perkins said, will help restore the system of checks and balances intended by our Founding Fathers.
"We continue to see attempts to remove any acknowledgement of God from the public square," he said. "If the Pledge falls under the attack of liberal activists and their judicial accomplices, we can expect our nation's motto and other historical inscriptions to fall as well."
Perkins noted that the threat from crusading atheists and activist judges will not cease until the Pledge Protection Act is signed into law.
"We urge the U.S. Senate to act promptly and adopt this measure before the August recess," he said. "Our overburdened courts will be more effective when they focus on areas of genuine dispute and cease tampering with first principles on which the American people are united."
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(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action.)
