[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 153 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                        March 27, 2003.
Whereas the United States is currently engaged in a war on terrorism in response 
        to the attacks of September 11, 2001;
Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States are currently engaged in a 
        campaign to disarm the regime of Saddam Hussein and liberate the people 
        of Iraq;
Whereas, on June 1, 1774, the Virginia House of Burgesses called for a day of 
        fasting and prayer as an expression of solidarity with the people of 
        Boston who were under siege by the enemy;
Whereas, on March 16, 1776, the Continental Congress, recognizing that the 
        ``Liberties of America are imminently endangered'' and the need ``to 
        acknowledge the overruling Providence of God'', called for a day of 
        ``Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer'';
Whereas, on June 28, 1787, during the debate of the Constitutional Convention, 
        Benjamin Franklin, convinced of God's intimate involvement in human 
        affairs, implored the Congress to seek the assistance of Heaven in all 
        its dealings;
Whereas, on March 30, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, at 
        the bequest of the Senate, and himself recognizing the need of the 
        Nation to humble itself before God in repentance for its national sins, 
        proclaimed a day of fasting, prayer and humiliation;
Whereas all of the various faiths of the people of the United States have 
        recognized, in our religious traditions, the need for fasting and humble 
        supplication before Providence;
Whereas humility, fasting, and prayer in times of danger have long been rooted 
        in our essential national convictions and have been a means of producing 
        unity and solidarity among all the diverse people of this Nation as well 
        as procuring the enduring grace and benevolence of God;
Whereas, through prayer, fasting, and self-reflection, we may better recognize 
        our own faults and shortcomings and submit to the wisdom and love of God 
        in order that we may have guidance and strength in those daily actions 
        and decisions we must take; and
Whereas dangers and threats to our Nation persist and, in this time of peril, it 
        is appropriate that the people of the United States, leaders and 
        citizens alike, seek guidance, strength, and resolve through prayer and 
        fasting: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
President should issue a proclamation--
            (1) designating a day for humility, prayer, and fasting for all 
        people of the United States; and
            (2) calling on all people of the United States--
                    (A) to observe the day as a time of prayer and fasting;
                    (B) to seek guidance from God to achieve a greater 
                understanding of our own failings and to learn how we can do 
                better in our everyday activities; and
                    (C) to gain resolve in meeting the challenges that confront 
                our Nation.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.