[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            SUPPORTING THE BLADENSBURG WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of an amicus brief 
filed by our majority whip,  Steve Scalise, in defense of the 
Bladensburg World War I Memorial in Prince George's County.
  The 93-year-old memorial honoring fallen soldiers has recently come 
under attack simply for being shaped like a cross. The Fourth Circuit 
Court of Appeals ruled the memorial unconstitutional because of the 
inherent meaning of the cross as a religious symbol.
  What kind of world do we live in where a monument to honor fallen 
soldiers of World War I--93 years old--is being threatened because of 
its shape or religious meaning?
  What is more, this is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause, 
which has been litigated. It could only be described as hostility 
towards religion, not neutrality.
  What is next, Arlington National Cemetery? the U.S. Capitol? or 
countless other national monuments, historic sites, or traditions?
  The Supreme Court has a chance to reverse this decision. I urge them 
to set precedent that will protect America's historic monuments in 
perpetuity.

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