[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 207 (Wednesday, January 2, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8059-S8060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 744

       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

[[Page S8060]]

     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--
       (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 . . . .'';
       (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
       (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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