[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 744 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 744
Recognizing May 3, 2018, as the 30th anniversary of the National Day of
Prayer established under the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for
setting aside the first Thursday in May as the date on which the
National Day of Prayer is celebrated'', approved May 5, 1988, which was
signed by President Ronald Reagan on May 5, 1988.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 2, 2019
Mr. Lankford (for himself, Mr. King, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Wicker, Mr.
Daines, Mr. Risch, Mrs. Ernst, Mr. Blunt, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Hoeven, Mr.
Cassidy, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Rubio) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing May 3, 2018, as the 30th anniversary of the National Day of
Prayer established under the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for
setting aside the first Thursday in May as the date on which the
National Day of Prayer is celebrated'', approved May 5, 1988, which was
signed by President Ronald Reagan on May 5, 1988.
Whereas section 119 of title 36, United States Code, states that, ``The
President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first
Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the
United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in
groups, and as individuals.'';
Whereas May 3, 2018, marks the 30th anniversary of the National Day of Prayer
established under the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for setting aside
the first Thursday in May as the date on which the National Day of
Prayer is celebrated'', approved May 5, 1988 (Public Law 100-307; 102
Stat. 456) (referred to in this preamble as ``Public Law 100-307''),
which was signed by President Ronald Reagan on May 5, 1988, and later
codified as section 119 of title 36, United States Code;
Whereas, as Senator Jesse Helms stated on the day the vehicle that would become
Public Law 100-307 passed the Senate--
(1) ``Designating the first Thursday in May as the National Day of
Prayer allows the people of the United States to plan and prepare to
intercede as a corporate body on behalf of the Nation and its leaders from
year to year with certainty.''; and
(2) ``[T]he magnitude of America's problems, within and without the
country, evidence a need for divine healing and guidance.'';
Whereas, as Representative Tony Hall stated on the day the vehicle that would
become Public Law 100-307 passed the House of Representatives, ``This
will help to bring more certainty to the scheduling of events related to
the National Day of Prayer, and permit more effective long-range
planning. For the past 7 years, the day has been observed in May, but
before this period it was observed at different times of the year.
Clarifying legislation is needed to ensure consistent and dependable
observance of the National Day of Prayer.'';
Whereas the United States has a long history of turning to prayer both in times
of crisis and in times of thanksgiving, as demonstrated on the following
occasions:
(1) President Barack Obama stated in Presidential Proclamation No. 9441
of May 4, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 27983), ``In times of steady calm and
extraordinary change alike, Americans of all walks of life have long turned
to prayer to seek refuge, demonstrate gratitude, and discover peace.
Sustaining us through great uncertainty and moments of sorrow, prayer
allows us an outlet for introspection, and for expressing our hopes,
desires, and fears. It offers strength in the face of hardship, and
redemption when we falter. Our country was founded on the idea of religious
freedom, and we have long upheld the belief that how we pray and whether we
pray are matters reserved for an individual's own conscience. On National
Day of Prayer, we rededicate ourselves to extending this freedom to all
people.''.
(2) President Donald Trump stated in Presidential Proclamation No. 9634
of September 1, 2017 (82 Fed. Reg. 42439), ``I urge Americans of all faiths
and religious traditions and backgrounds to offer prayers today for all
those harmed by Hurricane Harvey, including people who have lost family
members or been injured, those who have lost homes or other property, and
our first responders, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and
medical professionals leading the response and recovery efforts. Each of
us, in our own way, may call upon our God for strength and comfort during
this difficult time. I call on all Americans and houses of worship
throughout the Nation to join in one voice of prayer, as we seek to uplift
one another and assist those suffering from the consequences of this
terrible storm.''.
(3) On September 5, 2017, in response to Hurricane Harvey, Minority
Leader of the Senate Chuck Schumer said on the floor of the Senate, ``Right
now, large parts of the fourth largest city in our country remain
underwater. I extend my most heartfelt sympathies to the people of Houston
and to those across parts of Texas and Louisiana who are just beginning a
long road to recovery from Hurricane Harvey. Having lived through Hurricane
Sandy in my home State of New York, I remember the agonies of families who
lost their homes, lost their businesses, and, particularly in the first
month, had a sense of helplessness about what had happened to them. Our
thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Houston.''.
(4) On June 14, 2017, after the shooting in Alexandria, Virginia--
G (A) Senator James Lankford said in a prayer on the floor of the
Senate, ``[A]s I have walked through the hallways heading back and forth to
different meetings, I have been interested to see many doors that I have
walked by, and when those doors were open, I could hear people inside
praying. There have been at least three organized prayer meetings on the
Hill today, specifically related just to that, and others spontaneously
occurring. Just for a moment we have the opportunity to be able to reflect
and say to God: Thank You so much for protecting the people on that field.
Thank you again to the Capitol Police, who literally put their lives on the
line to protect the guests and the Members and staff here every single day
. . . I would like to be able to join what is happening all over this Hill
for just a moment in this room--for us to be able to pray for a moment . .
. .'';
G (B) Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi
said on the floor of the House of Representatives, ``You may not know this,
my colleagues, but every time I pray, which is very frequently, and
certainly every Sunday, I pray for all of you, all of you together. In the
earlier years, I used to pray for your happiness, for the fact that we
would, working together, heed the words of President Kennedy in the closing
of his inaugural address when he said: `. . . God's work must truly be our
own.' How do we view what God's will is for us? How do we come together to
give confidence to the American people? As our Founders intended, we would
have our disagreements and we would debate them, and we would have
confidence in our beliefs and humility to listen to others. But in more
recent years, I have been praying not only for that, but for our safety . .
. My prayer is that we can resolve our differences in a way that furthers
the preamble to the Constitution, takes us closer to `e pluribus unum.' And
today, again, it is in the family. It is an injury in the family for the
staff and for our colleague and for his leadership.''; and
G (C) Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan said on the
floor of the House of Representatives, ``My colleagues, there are so many
memories from this day that we will want to forget, and there are so many
images that we will not want to see again. But there is one image in
particular that this House should keep, and that is a photo I saw this
morning of our Democratic colleagues gathered in prayer this morning after
hearing the news . . . So before this House returns to its business, let's
just slow down and reflect to think about how we are all being tested right
now, because we are being tested right now. I ask each of you to join me to
resolve to come together, to lift each other up, and to show the country,
to show the world, that we are one House, the people's House, united in our
humanity. It is that humanity which will win the day, and it always will.
God bless.''.
(5) On September 28, 2017, Representative Steve Scalise, marking his
return to the House of Representatives after being shot on a baseball field
in Alexandria, Virginia, said on the floor of House of Representatives,
``[W]hen I was laying out on that ball field, the first thing I did once I
was down and couldn't move anymore is I just started to pray. And I'll tell
you it gave me an unbelievable sense of calm knowing that at that point it
was in God's hands. But I prayed for very specific things, and I will tell
you pretty much every one of those prayers was answered, and they were some
pretty challenging prayers I was putting in God's hands. He really did
deliver for me and my family. And it just gives you that renewed faith and
understanding that the power of prayer is something that you just cannot
underestimate.''.
(6) On October 2, 2017, after the shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada,
Majority Leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell said on the floor of the
Senate, ``The news we awoke to this morning was heartbreaking. What
happened in Las Vegas is shocking, it is tragic, and for those affected and
their families, it is devastating. It is hard to even imagine their pain. I
hope they will know that we are praying for them now. I hope they will find
strength in the love and kindness of those around them in these hours of
such darkness and pain. I hope they will see that our country is standing
by their side today.'';
Whereas the act of prayer is both an expression of religious belief and an act
of speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution
of the United States;
Whereas the National Day of Prayer--
(1) is consistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment
to the Constitution of the United States;
(2) belongs to all people in the United States; and
(3) ``is very much in keeping with the pluralistic spirit of the
Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. No single religious group can
claim ownership or control of the National Day of Prayer; rather, it truly
belongs to all Americans who seek divine guidance for themselves and for
the country,'' as Representative Mervyn Dymally noted on the day the
vehicle that would become Public Law 100-307 passed the House of
Representatives;
Whereas calling for prayer in times of crisis and thanksgiving creates a sense
of unity in the United States, and, as President Ronald Reagan noted in
a radio address in 1982, ``[P]rayer is one of the few things in this
world that hurts no one and sustains the spirit of millions.''; and
Whereas declaring a National Day of Prayer sets the United States apart as a
country, and, as Representative William Dannemeyer noted on the day the
vehicle that would become Public Law 100-307 passed the House of
Representatives, ``A Nation in prayer has traditionally given this great
Republic of ours the efficacy required to sustain it. A National Day of
Prayer should be more than a mere commemorative occasion, it should be
the spiritual sustenance that sets America apart from the rest of the
world, the difference between freedom under God or slavery under the
rule of men.'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 30th anniversary of the National Day of
Prayer established under the Act entitled ``An Act to provide
for setting aside the first Thursday in May as the date on
which the National Day of Prayer is celebrated'', approved May
5, 1988 (Public Law 100-307; 102 Stat. 456), which was signed
by President Ronald Reagan on May 5, 1988, and later codified
as section 119 of title 36, United States Code;
(2) encourages all people in the United States to reaffirm
the importance prayer has played in the heritage of the United
States; and
(3) expresses support for the continued recognition each
year of--
(A) the National Day of Prayer; and
(B) the importance that prayer and faith have
played in the history of the United States.
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