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







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 494

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Ohio 
   State motto is constitutional and urging the courts to uphold its 
                           constitutionality.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2000

Mr. Oxley (for himself, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. Portman, Mr. Gillmor, Mr. 
   Ney, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Regula, Mr. Traficant, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. 
  Chabot, Ms. Pryce of Ohio, Mr. Sawyer, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Boehner, Mr. 
 Hobson, and Mr. Kasich) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Ohio 
   State motto is constitutional and urging the courts to uphold its 
                           constitutionality.

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, Chap. 173) and on all United States coins and 
        currency in 1955 (69 Stat. 290, Chap. 303);
Whereas in 1956, Congress declared the national motto of the United States to be 
        ``In God we trust'' (70 Stat. 732, Chap. 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.
                                 <all>