[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 5--EXPRESSING THE SUPPORT FOR PRAYER AT SCHOOL BOARD 
                                MEETINGS

  Mr. VITTER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                               S. Res. 5

       Whereas the freedom to practice religion and to express 
     religious thought is acknowledged to be a fundamental and 
     unalienable right belonging to all individuals;
       Whereas the United States was founded on the principle of 
     freedom of religion and not freedom from religion;
       Whereas the framers intended that the first amendment to 
     the Constitution would prohibit the Federal Government from 
     enacting any law that favors one religious denomination over 
     another, not prohibit any mention of religion or reference to 
     God in civic dialogue;
       Whereas in 1983, the Supreme Court held in Marsh v. 
     Chambers, 463 U.S. 783, that the practice of opening 
     legislative sessions with prayer has become part of the 
     fabric of our society and invoking divine guidance on a 
     public body entrusted with making the laws is not a violation 
     of the Establishment Clause of the first amendment, but 
     rather is simply a tolerable acknowledgment of beliefs widely 
     held among the people of the Nation;
       Whereas voluntary prayer in elected bodies should not be 
     limited to prayer in State legislatures and Congress;
       Whereas school boards are deliberative bodies of adults 
     similar to a legislature in that they are elected by the 
     people, act in the public interest, and hold sessions that 
     are open to the public for voluntary attendance; and
       Whereas voluntary prayer by an elected body should be 
     protected under law and encouraged in society because 
     voluntary prayer has become a part of the fabric of our 
     society, voluntary prayer acknowledges beliefs widely held 
     among the people of the Nation, and the Supreme Court has 
     held that it is not a violation of the Establishment Clause 
     for a public body to invoke divine guidance: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that prayer before school board meetings is 
     a protected act in accordance with the fundamental principles 
     upon which the Nation was founded; and
       (2) expresses support for the practice of prayer at the 
     beginning of school board meetings.

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