[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 29, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          LET US CONTINUE TO BE A NATION THAT BELIEVES IN GOD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this time is given to many of 
us to express our concerns and our views on the day's activities and 
legislative initiatives or particular issues that impact our district.
  I thought I would comment today on the actions of the House that just 
occurred on H. Con. Res. 94. It was a vigorous debate, and I think in 
the true spirit of our Founding Fathers we can be very proud of that. 
Obviously, those who proposed an amendment, a resolution, that would 
cause or ask the people of this Nation to, under God, to humble and 
reconcile themselves with God and with one another have a true 
commitment and passion.
  Further, as the resolution goes on, they urge all Americans to unite 
in seeking the face of God through humble prayer.
  I believe in the Old and New Testaments. In fact, a favorite verse of 
mine is John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but 
shall have everlasting life.
  In the Christian faith, that son is called Jesus; and for those of us 
who believe, we believe within our heart, it is a conversion, it is a 
commitment and passion about our personal and religious beliefs.
  Even as I stand here, I think many of us can note that above my head 
are the words, In God We Trust, but we might not be able to see some 
additional words that are behind me on this wooden border. It says, 
justice and tolerance.
  I would not want the world or the Nation to believe that the defeat 
of H. Con. Res. 94 had anything to do with the personal beliefs of the 
Members of the United States Congress. It had more to do with our 
understanding of our constitutional underpinnings, the premise of the 
separation of church and State.
  No, it does not mean that wherever I go I cannot utter a personal 
prayer to whoever I believe in. It may be Allah, it may be Jesus or God 
or some other name, Jehovah, that I am not familiar with. I do not stop 
anyone from doing that. Frankly, as a mother, I tell my children 
whenever they are in time of stress, offer a word of prayer; my belief, 
my teachings that I have taught my family.
  For us to go and solicit on the floor of the House, urging all 
Americans to unite in seeking the face of God through humble prayer is 
not respecting and not tolerating those who are different from us. This 
Nation was founded on the grounds that there are those who are escaping 
religious persecution.
  I would hesitate and would not like for the vote today to be cast 
about by those who want to spin it and say that we defeated an 
opportunity for reconciliation, an opportunity for prayer. I hope this 
Nation will pray in whichever way it chooses, as it is a diverse and 
religiously diverse community. In fact, I hope the clergy of this land 
heard the debate and maybe independent of government will rise up and 
call for a day of prayer where all of them will come to the United 
States Capitol, their capitol, their place, where they can come, it is 
free for anyone to come, and acknowledge whichever god they so desire.
  I hope whatever day of worship one has that they will kneel, however 
they pray, and ask for this Nation to be healed and unified.
  H. Con. Res. 94 had no place for the United States Congress to demand 
and call upon this Nation to pray in any certain way or humble 
themselves in any certain way.
  So I hope that we can see the vote as a positive; that we remain on 
the day or the eve of July 4, Independence Day, when this fledgling 
Nation became a unified country, pledging allegiance to the flag of the 
United States, under God, acknowledging that but also a Nation that 
believed in the Bill of Rights, that no matter where one came from, no 
matter who their God was, they had the right to be an American and they 
had the right to the privileges of that wonderful equality, to be able 
to pray as they so desired.
  I hope that we will be able to do actions, as one of my colleagues 
did say.
  As I close, Mr. Speaker, I hope we will pass the hate crimes bill. I 
hope we will support Head Start and education. There are many things we 
can do to show ourselves compassionate. I hope that we will find a way 
to end school violence and gun violence. I hope that we will come 
together to work on these solutions, no matter what religious 
background we have, for the betterment of this Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that we continue to be a Nation that believes.

                          ____________________