[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 494 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                         June 27, 2000.
Whereas the official motto of the State of Ohio--``With God All Things Are 
        Possible''--has been the State motto for 41 years, since October 1, 
        1959;
Whereas the motto is a powerful expression of hope and humility for all the 
        people of Ohio;
Whereas the motto does not establish, promote, endorse, advance, or discriminate 
        against any specific set of religious beliefs;
Whereas the motto is consistent with the American tradition of seeking spiritual 
        guidance in matters of public affairs;
Whereas faith in God was a founding principle of the Nation and the State of 
        Ohio;
Whereas the motto helps promote positive values and citizenship in the youth of 
        Ohio;
Whereas several States or territories and the United States have mottoes or 
        seals making explicit reference to God or Providence;
Whereas the Declaration of Independence and the constitutions or preambles of 45 
        States make explicit reference to a divine power;
Whereas since 1864, United States coins have borne the motto ``In God We 
        Trust'', which Congress made mandatory on all gold and silver coins in 
        1908 (35 Stat. 164, ch. 173) and on all United States coins and currency 
        in 1955 (69 Stat. 290, ch. 303);
Whereas in 1956, Congress declared the national motto of the United States to be 
        ``In God we trust'' (70 Stat. 732, ch. 795); and
Whereas Members of Congress take an oath to uphold the Constitution and 
        vigilantly do so in the performance of their legislative duties: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) the Ohio State motto and other long-standing mottoes 
                which make reference to God or Providence do so as long-accepted 
                expressions consistent with American tradition and rooted in the 
                sentiments of the American people;
                    (B) such mottoes are ``those references to God that we 
                accept in ceremonial phrases or in other contexts that assure 
                neutrality'', Lynch v. Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668, 717 (1984) 
                (Brennan, J., dissenting), and State and Federal courts should 
                uphold them as such; and
                    (C) the decision of a three-judge panel of the United States 
                Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit striking down the Ohio 
                State motto is a misinterpretation and misapplication of the 
                United States Constitution; and
            (2) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) finds repugnant all misinterpretations and 
                misapplications of the Constitution by Federal courts which 
                disregard those references to God which are well within the 
                American tradition and within the Constitution;
                    (B) supports the decision of the Governor and the Attorney 
                General of the State of Ohio to appeal the ruling; and
                    (C) affirms its support for the Ohio State motto and other 
                State mottoes making reference to a divine power.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.