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Urgent: House Judiciary Committee moving to strip the courts of their power to decide Pledge of Allegiance cases

Update: Although we won in committee, we lost on the House floor. The House voted 260 to 167 to pass HR 2389, the so-called Pledge Protection Act. To see how your member of Congress voted, go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll385.xml A "NAY" voting member of Congress should be thanked, and a "YEA" voter should be reprimanded.

Jun. 7, 2006 - The House Judiciary Committee this week took up HR 2389, a bill which would strip all federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, of the power to decide the Constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance or its recitation. This legislation would set a dangerous precedent for chipping away at the checks and balances that our three independent branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) have given our nation over the past two hundred plus years.

In 1954 Congress corrupted the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance (written in 1892) by adding the words "under God" between "one nation" and "indivisible." The founders of our nation kept the Constitution free of references to a god or gods. In this tradition, it is not surprising that the original Pledge developed as an expression of patriotism -- not religious faith -- which also made no mention of a god. Some members of Congress are intent on tying the concepts of faith and patriotism together, thereby making nontheists second class citizens. If this legislation is passed it would set the stage for further limitations on the Court's exercise of power to decide First Amendment religion cases like public school prayers, legislative prayers, ten commandments, national motto, etc. leading to a tyranny of the majority.

This legislation, which has been dormant for over a year, is being pushed forward now to play to the religious right for the fall elections. It is shameful that Congress is using this legislation, which attacks the Constitutional rights of our constituency, to further their narrow and selfish political goals. If your member of Congress sits on the House Judiciary Committee (see list below), we urge you to contact your Representative and urge her/him to vote against HR 2389.

House Judiciary Committee: Bachus (R-AL), Berman (D-CA), Boucher (D-VA), Cannon (R-UT), Chabot (R-OH), Coble (R-NC), Conyers (D-MI), Delahunt (D-MA), Feeney (R-FL), Flake (R-AZ), Forbes (R-VA), Franks (R-AZ), Gallegly (R-CA), Gohmert (R-TX), Goodlatte (R-VA), Green (R-WI), Hostettler (R-IN), Hyde (R-IL), Inglis (R-SC), Issa (R-CA), Jackson Lee (D-TX), Jenkins (R-TN), Keller (R-FL), King (R-IA), Lofgren (D-CA), Lungren (R-CA), Meehan (D-MA), Nadler (D-NY), Pence (R-IN), Sanchez (D-CA), Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Schiff (D-CA), Scott (D-VA), Smith (R-TX), Van Hollen (D-MD), Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Waters (D-CA), Watt (D-NC), Weiner (D-NY), and Wexler (D-FL).

Below you will find a sample letter regarding this issue.

Take a stand: Contact your Representative in the House and urge her/him to vote against HR 2389.

You can contact your Representative through her/his website or through the Legislator/Media Lookup by Zip Code.

Below you will find a sample letter regarding this issue. Please feel free to adapt it to your voice, and to add any additional information of importance to you: