[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 62 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2310-H2314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2300
                        RECOGNIZING FAITH MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the Chair recognizes the

[[Page H2311]]

gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller) for 30 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include in the Record extraneous material on the 
topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, tonight, I am incredibly 
privileged to join the patriots at Concerned Women for America for the 
third year in a row by recognizing April as Faith Month. It is a time 
when we can set aside our differences and talk about the most important 
aspect of our lives: our faith.
  Since our founding, in America, we have believed that God governs in 
the affairs of men. Actually, every day here in Congress, we 
acknowledge God by opening Congress with daily prayer.
  It was my faith in God that first inspired me to run for public 
office. As a Christian, my faith is at the heart of everything I do. 
Before any major decision and during moments of conflict, I ask for 
God's guidance and wisdom to guide me in accordance with his will.
  For my husband, Chris, and I, our Christian faith was central to 
raising our seven children. Now, they are making faith a central pillar 
for the upbringing of our 20 grandchildren. We also put our Christian 
faith first in running our family farm, seeking to honor God as 
stewards of the land and everything he has blessed us with.
  Faith was key to our Nation's founding. In fact, the Pilgrims came to 
the new world in search of religious freedom, making the voyage across 
the Atlantic to the shores of Massachusetts. The right to publicly 
express their faith was so important that they risked their very lives.
  Contrary to public opinion, our Founders did not believe America 
should be an atheistic society that shuns God. Benjamin Franklin called 
for prayer at the Constitutional Convention when it seemed destined for 
failure. The convention then proceeded smoothly, and a few weeks later, 
the delegates adopted the Constitution that endures to this day.
  John Adams believed that our Republic could not function without 
faith. In fact, he said: ``Our Constitution was made only for a moral 
and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any 
other.''
  Thomas Jefferson attended and promoted a church service in this very 
building every Sunday.
  Our Founders never meant for faith to be separate from public life. 
Quite the opposite, they intended for faith to play a central role in 
our Nation.
  In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said: ``If you have faith as small as a 
mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' 
and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.''
  I believe faith is what is needed in this body today. We need faith 
to overcome our mountains of division so we can do what is right for 
our country and the American people.
  I am humbled to share my faith on the House floor and recognize that 
this sacred right has been preserved by those who have selflessly laid 
down their lives for our freedom.
  I am honored to share this Special Order with several other friends 
and colleagues in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).
  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Miller for 
organizing this and working with Concerned Women for America to make 
April Faith Month. It is an honor to be a part of this, to recognize a 
country where we can recognize our faith.
  I know and understand and recognize the distinct opportunity that we 
have as Americans to worship freely, to come alongside each other with 
great respect and also to respect various viewpoints. We are blessed to 
live in a country where we can worship freely. It is a very important 
part of the fabric of the United States of America.
  When I have visitors come to the United States Capitol, I like to 
take them into the rotunda. In the rotunda, there is a painting called 
the ``Embarkation of the Pilgrims.'' That painting depicts a pastor as 
they are getting on board the deck of the Speedwell in 1620, gathered 
in prayer as they go toward and look for a new nation where they can 
worship freely, which would ultimately become the United States of 
America. I like that painting because it reminds us of the freedom that 
we have here in this country even today.
  Tonight, there are about 11 pastors in Nicaragua who don't have that 
freedom. They are in prison for 12 to 15 years, because of their faith, 
in the country of Nicaragua.
  Here in the United States, we don't have to worry about that. As a 
young boy back in Alabama who recognized that I needed Christ in my own 
life and accepted Christ as my Savior, I am reminded that I have that 
freedom and don't have to worry about going to prison or facing jail 
time merely because of my faith to follow Christ, which is something I 
try to do, as you say, Congresswoman, on a day-to-day basis, even 
though, as you know, we all fall short of that standard.
  In closing, I thank my colleague from Illinois for organizing this 
time, bringing us together, and reminding us that this country was 
built not on mountains of money and not on great prosperity but on the 
faith of so many people who came before us wanting to worship freely 
and to honor our God and maker.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to Mrs. 
Harshbarger, I thank her for being a co-chair of the Congressional 
Family Caucus. We know two things made our country not only good but 
great, and that is faith and family.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. 
Harshbarger).
  Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Speaker, our Founding Fathers believed that 
democracy and our system of government could only prosper in a Western 
society guided by Judeo-Christian values. I raised my son with these 
values, and he is raising his sons with this same set of values. For 
nearly 30 years, I have instilled these same values to our youth as a 
Sunday school teacher.
  As we have all observed, America is at a social and political 
crossroads, which stems from a profound loss of traditional Judeo-
Christian values that make up the foundation of our families and, 
therefore, our Nation. Religious devotion among Americans is 
collapsing. More than a third of the country declines to attend 
religious services. Less than 75 percent of the country holds strong, 
solid religious beliefs.
  Is there any wonder we see the crime rates continue to surge and 
America's mental health crisis continue to worsen? The conclusion is 
simple. It is the direct effect of the erosion of our Christian values, 
and it started with taking prayer out of the schools.
  America needs spiritual guidance now more than ever. Christian values 
promote personal responsibility, compassion, and a sense of community. 
These are the essential pillars missing in today's society. When these 
values are absent in a family or in a society, you will see a decline 
in morality that can be generational.
  We, as leaders, need to not only remind ourselves but our colleagues 
and constituents that restoring the Judeo-Christian values that our 
country was founded upon offers a pathway for our country to heal. If 
our country or our families fail to embrace the principles that made 
our Nation great, our Nation risks further division and decline.
  That is why I am proud to co-chair the Congressional Family Caucus, 
which seeks to restore the guiding Judeo-Christian values and 
principles that exemplify our Nation's greatness by promoting God-
driven and family-focused policies.
  It is time to reinstate the teachings of Jesus Christ and chart a 
course toward renewal, reconciliation, and revival for our great 
Nation.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as I yield to my friend, 
Congressman  Andrew Clyde, I thank him for making it obvious that his 
faith is so important to him by being such a principled and courageous 
man in how he handles his opportunity here as a Congressman.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).
  Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Congresswoman Mary Miller, 
for hosting this Special Order and for being a leader in defending 
religious freedom.

[[Page H2312]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and celebration of Faith Month. 
During Faith Month, we rejoice in God's gift of salvation, thank our 
Lord and Savior for his many blessings, and celebrate the everlasting 
power of prayer and His Word.
  As is said in Matthew 5:16, ``Let your light shine before others that 
they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.''
  The Bible calls on us to proudly demonstrate our faith and boldly 
champion our Christian beliefs. As a believer, I am thankful for this 
opportunity to celebrate our faith and our precious freedoms, 
especially at such a time as this when it is critical for Americans to 
be grounded in faith.
  Our country is hurting, and Americans are crying out for strong, 
effective leadership. It is becoming harder to achieve the American 
Dream. Communities are being overwhelmed by violent crime, dangerous 
drugs, and illegal aliens. Our unalienable rights are being chipped 
away by the very people responsible for safeguarding our Constitution.
  We need more leaders here in Washington who are rooted in faith, who 
put their trust in the Lord, and who use His Word as a guiding light 
through these challenges.
  Our Founders not only knew the importance of Christianity in society 
but proudly acknowledged and gave deference to our creator in the 
foundation and core principles of our Nation. They correctly declared 
that our liberties are not granted by the government but by our 
Almighty God. This includes our most fundamental freedoms outlined in 
the First Amendment, which preserves our unalienable right to religious 
liberty.
  By safeguarding religious freedom and drawing the Lord into our 
government, our Founding Fathers were ensuring unity and prosperity for 
generations to come. As George Washington asserted in his farewell 
address: ``Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political 
prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.''
  I pray that we don't lose sight of those supports, especially as we 
work to save our country and protect our freedoms.
  Let us proudly join together to rejoice in and lead with our faith. 
May others come to know the salvation that only comes through faith in 
Jesus Christ.
  Let us continue finding strength and wisdom in God's Word, and let us 
preserve and maintain our Founders' religious principles. A government 
whose foundation is built on God and His Word is a government that will 
have peace, prosperity, and liberty.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the freedom to share our faith 
is not something we should take lightly. To preserve that right, we 
need to exercise it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), my 
friend, and I thank him for always taking opportunities to share his 
faith.
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Miller for giving me 
this opportunity and for hosting tonight's Special Order recognizing 
this week as Faith Week. I am deeply honored to stand here tonight to 
express my personal faith and all that God's Word has meant to me in my 
life.
  As I reflect on the timeless teachings of the Bible, I am reminded of 
the divine wisdom of Exodus. In those sacred passages, God established 
laws and governance to uphold justice and righteousness.

  I am looking right now at the full face of Moses, who led with 
unwavering faith and divine guidance, looking down on this body. So too 
must we ensure that our actions align with the purpose of restraining 
evil and promoting good in our society.
  Above the flag is ``In God We Trust.'' That means we are without 
excuse in this body.
  During times of such division and uncertainty, the words of Mark 3:24 
resonate deeply within me, reminding us that a kingdom divided against 
itself cannot stand.
  It is through our collective faith and drawing near to the Word of 
God that we find the path to unity, truth, and freedom.
  Joshua 1:8 speaks to the power of Scripture in guiding our actions 
and decisions. In fact, God's instructions to Joshua in Joshua 1:8 is 
one of the greatest promises in the Bible. He says do not let this book 
of law depart from your lips. Be careful to do what it says. Meditate 
on it night and day, and you will be prosperous and successful.
  As we meditate upon God's Word, we are promised prosperity and 
success. Like Abraham, whose faith was credited to him as 
righteousness, we must trust in God's promises and live obediently by 
His Word.
  Our lead House ministry is reading through the ``Change Your Life'' 
study Bible. Easter was especially meaningful this year, as I was 
reading on that particular day about the transfiguration of Jesus in 
Luke 9:28-36.
  Now, you have to understand there were three witnesses here in this 
passage, which I would like to share with you. Jesus took Peter, John, 
and James with him and went up onto the mountain to pray.

                              {time}  1900

  He was praying, and while he was praying, the appearance of his face 
changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
  Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor talking with 
Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which was about to be brought to 
fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, 
but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men 
standing with him, and they were afraid.
  As the men were leaving, Peter said to Jesus: ``Master, it is good 
for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters, one for You, one for 
Moses, and one for Elijah.''
  As he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were 
afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud saying: 
``This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him.''
  ``Listen to Him.''
  Jesus also said in Luke: ``If you love me, you will obey my 
commands.''
  During this special week, let us seek God's blessing and protection 
as we navigate through the complexities of government and acknowledge 
his sovereignty over all things. During this special week, we are aware 
of so many things that profoundly impact our faith. One is hope guiding 
us through life's trials and triumphs, and it unites us in a bond 
stronger than earthly ties.
  I hope those watching will join me in reaffirming our commitment to 
worship the Lord and to draw strength and inspiration from His Word.
  What was so meaningful at Easter was that here we had three 
eyewitnesses of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ.
  In 2018, Billy Graham was laid in honor in our Capitol. I have read 
many of his inaugural prayers as a reminder, and every week for the 
past 16 years, it has resonated with me. This prayer was given in 1969. 
It is as if Billy Graham was predicting the future.
  He said:

       Our Father and our God, Thou hast said: ``Blessed is that 
     nation whose God is the Lord.''
       We recognize on this historic occasion that we are ``a 
     nation under God.'' We thank Thee for this torch of faith 
     handed to us by our forefathers. May we never let it be 
     extinguished. Thou alone hast given us our prosperity, our 
     freedom, and our power. This faith in God is our heritage and 
     our foundation.
       Thou hast warned us in the Scriptures: ``If the foundations 
     be destroyed, what can the righteous do?''
       As George Washington reminded us in his farewell address, 
     morality and faith are the pillars of our society. We confess 
     these pillars are being eroded in an increasingly 
     materialistic and permissive society.
       The whole world is watching to see if the faith of our 
     fathers will stand the trials and tests of this hour. Too 
     long we have neglected Thy Word and ignored Thy laws.

  Mr. Speaker, does that sound familiar today?

       Too long we have tried to solve our problems without 
     reference to Thee. Too often we have tried to live by bread 
     alone. We have sown to the wind and are now reaping a 
     whirlwind of crime, division, and rebellion.
       And now with the wages of our sins staring us in the face, 
     we remember Thy Words: ``If my people who are called by my 
     name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and 
     turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and 
     will forgive their sin and heal their land.''

  Mr. Speaker, I also served as the chairman of the Congressional 
Prayer Caucus. One thing that is important to highlight is that prayer 
has played a vital role in strengthening the fabric of our society and 
the bond in this Chamber. The Congressional Prayer Caucus

[[Page H2313]]

is a bipartisan congressional Member caucus consisting of Members from 
across the country who meet at first votes every week and who believe 
in the power of prayer.
  Mr. Speaker, you can go to my website, Allen.House.gov, and submit 
your prayer requests, and members of the prayer caucus will lift you up 
in prayer.
  May God bless each of us abundantly during this Faith Week as we seek 
to help others understand the faith that we share and that we hold so 
dearly.
  Mr. Speaker, as we walk in his faith and righteousness, we are 
grateful. May God's grace be upon you and the peace of Jesus be with 
you.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Allen for his 
words. I can give testimony that he is very faithful to share the 
prayer requests of other Members, and we pray over them.
  Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 8 minutes remaining.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to constrain 
ourselves when we are talking about our faith and the impact that the 
faith of many Americans who have gone before us have had on our country 
and the world.
  We know that faith without works is dead, and when you consider, Mr. 
Speaker, just the amount of missionaries that have been sent from our 
country into the world, it is very profound. It is something to really 
celebrate tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Webster). It 
is a real privilege to meet regularly with Mr. Webster and another 
group to pray for our country on a weekly basis.
  Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the 
opportunity to talk about an important subject.
  This is a simple word, faith. Faith is defined in the Scriptures as 
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for 
by it the elders obtained a good report.
  So faith has substance. It is evidence. It is touchable. It is 
tangible. It is not just something in the air, although it is a simple 
word.
  Where does faith come from? Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the 
Word of God. It comes from the Bible. That is where we get faith from. 
We hear it, read it, study it, understand it, and then practice it. By 
doing so, our faith grows.
  It is important to note, though, we can't please God without faith. A 
lot of people want to please God in all kinds of ways, but the 
Scripture says that it is impossible to please Him--impossible--without 
faith.

  So without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who cometh 
to God must believe that he is and that He is a rewarder of them who 
diligently seek Him.
  Then, also, though, with all that, it adds up to really a simple 
life, a life that takes a simple word, turns it into a real faith, 
believes it, and lives it out.
  The Scripture says: ``Thou hast held me by my right hand.'' That is 
when we find that first initial faith, faith in Christ, faith that He 
is our Lord, faith that He is our Savior, and faith that He is the God 
He said He is.
  Not only does He take me by the right hand, but Thou shalt guide me 
with Thy counsel. Where is his counsel? It is in the Bible, so we study 
the Bible. We know it, and we live a life. Eventually, that life comes 
to an end.
  The Scripture says: Then Thou shalt take me to glory. That is Heaven. 
It is a simple life. God holds us by our hand. He leads us by his 
counsel, and afterward, He takes us to glory, to Heaven. What a great 
thing.
  It is a simple word. It is a simple life. It is a simple faith.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Good).
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Miller for 
hosting this important initiative tonight.
  After ratifying the Constitution in 1789, the Founders had the wisdom 
to compose and pass the Bill of Rights in 1791 to further protect 
Americans from a potentially oppressive Federal Government. They 
believed that we needed to codify into law, in fact, into the highest 
law of the land, the enumeration of certain rights, God-given rights, 
for which it was the specific responsibility of the Federal Government 
to ensure and to protect.
  The Bill of Rights did not begin with the right to free speech, to a 
free press, to assemble, to petition our government, to keep and bear 
arms, or even the right to be free from unreasonable searches and 
seizures. No. The first enshrined protected right was the freedom of 
religion, the free exercise thereof, and the freedom from a government-
established religion.
  Founders understood that the most important, most precious, and most 
fundamental right is the right to freely believe or not to believe, to 
worship or not to worship, and to exercise or practice our faith or not 
to do so.
  Throughout human history and across every corner of the globe, 
mankind has exercised the God-created yearning to reconcile with his 
creator. Mankind has wrestled with the purpose of life and the question 
of the afterlife.
  Sadly and unfortunately, those questions cannot be asked freely and 
those rights cannot be practiced freely in many parts of the world 
today.
  Be that as it may, we are so blessed to live in a country where we 
still have that freedom today, and it is critical that we endeavor to 
ensure that unobstructed freedom endures for those who come behind us.
  The good news is that those questions about the purpose of life and 
the reality of an eternal afterlife have been answered in the Bible: 
God's inspired, inerrant, and infallible written Word.
  The Bible is the good news of Jesus Christ, the death and 
resurrection of the Savior, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
  2,000 years after his sacrificial death on the cross, which is an 
undisputed historical fact, this son of a carpenter remains the most 
prominent figure in human history.
  How did someone who had no formal education, never traveled more than 
a few miles from his home, never held any kind of public office, had no 
material wealth, and was executed at the young age of 33, how did he 
literally change the world, with billions of followers ever since, 
including around the world today? This, despite many efforts to 
prohibit the distribution of the Bible and the free exercise of the 
Christian faith around the globe and throughout history.
  The answer is that He was and is the Son of God and the Savior of the 
world. That is why his disciples, his inner circle of chosen followers 
who witnessed his crucifixion, died in testimony of having also 
witnessed his resurrection. They gave everything to spread the gospel, 
the good news of their Savior, Jesus Christ, so that others might know 
the salvation they had experienced.
  I am eternally grateful that others shared that faith with me, as 
when I was a young child of 9 years old, I surrendered my life to Jesus 
Christ, my Lord and Savior. It is my Christian faith that shapes every 
area of my life. It is my purpose, my joy, my peace, and my confidence 
in my eternal destination.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Miller, again, for hosting this 
Special Order recognizing the importance of our faith.

                              {time}  1915

  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as has been said earlier tonight, John Adams said: ``Our 
Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is 
wholly inadequate to the government of any other.''
  We are right now in danger in this country. We know that the 
government cannot establish a religion, but we live in a time in which 
our government is outright hostile to religion in general and to 
Christianity in particular.
  We live under a welfare state in which we are openly hostile or 
certainly financially hostile to a traditional family.
  During the 1960s, Kate Millett, a famous feminist, said that one of 
her goals is to destroy the American family, and the feminists had a 
lot of influence in the 1960s.
  We have Black Lives Matter desiring to destroy the so-called western 
nuclear family, and countless Members of Congress stand with people 
like that.

[[Page H2314]]

  The Marxists, of course--and many people are apparently following 
Marx--were hostile to the family.
  We live in a time in which our sex education class is partly paid for 
by the Federal Government. When the Governor of Florida tries to delay 
these classes with graphic sex education until a person is 10 years old 
and that should have been 17 or 18 anyway, he is under attack.
  We have the FBI monitoring Christian or religious parents who object 
to this anti-Christianity.
  We are using our material wealth to lean on other countries around 
the world--Hungary, in particular, African countries, hostile to the 
practice of religion in those countries.
  It is important that Congress, in particular, and Americans, in 
general, stand up and protect the Christian values and religious values 
that our country was founded under and stand up and prevent our current 
government from the hostility--not just neutrality; hostility--to the 
moral and religious people that our country was founded to protect.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. I thank my friends and colleagues for 
participating in this year's Special Order on Faith Month.
  None of us knows what tomorrow holds, but we can rest assured that 
our sovereign God is watching over our Nation.
  America has endured nearly 250 years, and I believe the secret to our 
greatness has been our faith in God.
  Through vicious wars, economic hardships, and conflicts that threaten 
to rip us apart, God has graciously preserved the United States of 
America as a shining city on a hill.
  As 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: ``If my people, who are called by my name, 
will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their 
wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin 
and heal their land.''
  If we truly humble ourselves, pray, repent, and turn from our sins, I 
believe that God will hear our prayers, forgive us, and heal our deeply 
divided land. We are never beyond the reach of His grace.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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