[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3385-H3391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL JUBILEE OF PRAYER, PRAISE, AND THANKSGIVING
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr.
Brecheen of Oklahoma was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the majority leader. )
(Mr. BRECHEEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, on May 17 in a few days it will be
declared a National Day of Jubilee, Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving.
President Donald Trump announced this Day of Jubilee at the National
Prayer Breakfast when he invited ``Americans from all across the
country to come together on our National Mall to pray, to give
thanks.'' And he went on to say: ``We're going to rededicate America as
one Nation under God.''
It is historically significant that President Donald Trump would say
this. It is historically important that leaders of our Nation are
gathered behind me to begin to recognize the importance of calling our
Nation back to God and rededicating America as a Nation devoted and
dependent upon God.
In doing so, it is not only right, it is historically backed up by
the 150 different calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting, and
thanksgiving that have been issued in our country's history by our
Nation's leaders.
Of these 150-plus calls to prayer, 74 of them have been issued by
U.S. Presidential proclamations with 36 of our 47 United States
Presidents signing proclamations for national prayer.
Between 1775 and 1784 alone, at least 15 official proclamations for
prayer, fasting, and humiliation--yes, humiliation. Someone asked me:
Why are you using that word? That word is in the historic record. I
think some don't realize you don't get humility unless you are
humiliated. But times of prayer, fasting, and humiliation were issued
by Congress.
Records also show that there have been over 1,500 State and Federal
calls for national prayer since 1775. That is a truly remarkable
number.
This coming Jubilee Day of Prayer was first established by the
Continental Congress 250 years ago. This coming Sunday it will be
exactly 250 years ago when on May 17, 1776, they set aside a day of
humiliation, fasting, and prayer.
This original proclamation stated that: In times of impending
calamity and distress, it becomes the indispensable duty with true
penitence, publicly to acknowledge the overruling providence of God; to
confess and deplore our offenses against Him; and to supplicate His
interposition for averting the threatened danger and prospering our
strenuous efforts in the cause of freedom, virtue, and posterity.
This congressional dialogue continues that: The Congress, therefore,
do earnestly recommend, that the 17th day of May next, be observed as a
day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may confess and bewail
our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by a sincere repentance and
amendment of life, appease His righteous displeasure, and, through the
merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain His pardon and
forgiveness; humbly imploring His assistance to frustrate the cruel
purposes of our unnatural enemies; and by inclining their hearts to
justice and benevolence, prevent the further effusion of kindred blood.
{time} 2040
These were the words of our Continental Congress almost exactly a few
days away from now, 250 years ago this coming Sunday. They wrote that,
declared that, only 7 weeks ahead of when the Declaration of
Independence would come forth.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson),
the Speaker of the House, for his commentary.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear brother,
Congressman Josh Brecheen, for leading this Special Order. It is an
important occasion and one that a number of my colleagues will be here
to help mark tonight. It is appropriate for us to do that.
I want to reiterate what my friend here has explained. It is this
weekend, on May 17th, that our country is going to mark the National
Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving. As he noted, that date
marks exactly two and a half centuries since our Founders met in the
Second Continental Congress and declared a day of, yes, humiliation,
fasting, and prayer to ask for God's guidance in the cause of freedom.
I think it is an appropriate way to say it. We ought to begin with
repentance, and they recognized it back then.
This Sunday, Americans across the country are going to gather once
again to do that very same thing, and what an important time it is for
us to do so.
Here, on The National Mall, we are going to have tens of thousands of
Americans join in prayer to rededicate our lives and our Nation back to
God.
For Americans of faith, this is an opportunity to help our Nation
recommit to the foundations upon which this country was built, as every
previous generation in our history has done before.
Since the very beginning, prayer is how this grand experiment in
self-governance has endured and prospered for 250 years.
Indeed, when 56 patriots gathered in Philadelphia to pledge their
lives and their fortunes and their sacred honor for the birth of this
new Nation, they began in prayer.
To this day, we open every single legislative session in this House
and in the Senate, the other Chamber, in prayer. That is an
acknowledgment, in some small way, of the famous admonition that is
inscribed prominently right there above the head of the Speaker. It
says there above the rostrum: ``In God We Trust.''
If you look, by the way, in the visitor's guide to the House
Chamber--I think it is somewhere about on page 14--it says that
Congress voted in 1962 to put that motto there, to add it to the
marble, it says in the guide, as a rebuke to the Soviets because of
their philosophy. That was during the Cold War. The Soviet's philosophy
is Marxism, communism, and socialism. They all begin with one common
premise: that there is no God.
Our predecessors in this body wanted every single one of us to look
right there and understand and acknowledge, every single day that we
are here to work, that our Nation is built on the opposite idea. We are
built on the self-evident truth that it is God who gives us our rights
and not the government.
At this pivotal moment in our Nation's history, we have to remember
all of that. We have to acknowledge that the miracle of our founding
and the countless miracles that have followed have been the work of
Almighty God, and it is indeed in Him whom we trust.
So as we approach the 250th anniversary, it is right that we gather
formally, just as our Founders did, to beseech the firm protection of
divine providence once again.
[[Page H3386]]
I hope Americans from all across this country will take part in this
historic day of Scripture and worship and fellowship as we recommit to
our faith and our foundations as one nation under God.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana, our
Speaker, for taking time from his very busy schedule to do this.
I am going to further delay my remarks. I know that the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Babin) has got an appointment. I am going to ask him to
share some remarks also.
I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Mr. Josh Brecheen,
from Oklahoma for having this Special Order tonight.
As we prepare to celebrate 250 years of the greatest Nation in the
history of the world--and by great, I think we can mean good--it is
fitting that we pause to remember something that our Founders
understood clearly. America's strength has never come from government.
It has come from Almighty God, from faithful people, and from a nation
willing to humble itself in prayer and Thanksgiving.
God loves mercy more than he loves sacrifice. He tells us in Micah
6:8: What does the Lord require of you, O man, but to seek justice,
love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
In 1776, as the Continental Congress fought for the survival of this
young Nation, they established what they called a National Jubilee of
Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving.
I want you to think about that just a moment. In the middle of war,
uncertainty, and sacrifice, our Founders did not place their hope in
military might or political power alone. They turned first to the
Almighty God.
John Adams once wrote: It is ``the duty of all men to adore the
superintending Providence of Almighty God.''
George Washington repeatedly reminded the Nation that freedom itself
depends on morality, faith, and virtue.
From the very beginning, America understood that liberty is not self-
sustaining. Freedom requires a moral people, and a moral people must
remain grounded in the truth.
Today, 250 years later, we gather not only to celebrate our history
but to recommit ourselves to those timeless principles.
Our country has endured wars, economic hardship, division, and
tragedy. Yet, generation after generation, Americans have continued to
seek God's guidance through it all.
That spirit is woven into the very fabric of our Nation, and that is
why ``In God We Trust'' remains our national motto right above your
head, Mr. Speaker.
It is why our Presidents place their hands on the Bible when taking
the oath of office. It is why Americans still bow their heads in prayer
during moments of both triumph and of trial.
As a veteran, a father, a grandfather, and now chairman of the House
Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have had the very great
privilege of seeing the very best of America.
I represent Houston, Space City, the hardworking men and women of
Johnson Space Center, who continue pushing the boundaries of human
achievement, as we saw a couple weeks ago with Artemis II pushing four
astronauts farther from Earth than anybody has ever gone before.
Even as we reach farther into the heavens, we are reminded of just
how small we are compared to the greatness of God's creation.
As we celebrate America 250, may we never take for granted the
freedoms that we have inherited from our forefathers, and may we always
remain one nation under God for generations to come.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have had the gentleman from
Texas take his time to be here, along with the Speaker.
Given the rest of their schedules and the delay of my commentary, I
am going to continue on with my commentary.
Some will ask: Show us in history. If you claim that our Founders
were of this mindset, prove that to us.
In his 1796 farewell address, our very first President, George
Washington, stated: ``Of all of the dispositions and habits which lead
to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable
supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who
should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness.''
He goes to say: ``Both reason and experience forbid us to expect that
national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.
Most people don't realize that wasn't just George Washington who
wrote that. That was prepared for him by James Madison and later
Alexander Hamilton because he was going to release that in 1792
farewell address, and he decided the country needed him another 4
years. He waited until Alexander Hamilton could polish off the final
copy in 1796.
Our second President, John Adams, also expressing devotion to
Biblical principle, stated: ``We have no government armed with power
capable of continuing with human passions unbridled by morality and
religion. Avarice''--which means extreme greed--``ambition, and revenge
will break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes
through our net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate'' to the government of any
other.
He understood it is a linchpin, that in order to maintain the
blessing of liberty, it is in tandem with virtue that this undergirding
we are discussing today would provide.
Our third President, Thomas Jefferson, used to ride horses every
Sunday to attend church service in this very Capitol building yards
from where we are now. Thomas Jefferson, the one that people claim so
much about, every Sunday he was in service in a public building
bringing praise and honor.
{time} 2050
Our fourth President, the father of the Constitution, James Madison,
signed into law a resolution declaring a day of public humiliation and
prayer to be set apart for the devout purpose of rendering to the
sovereign of the universe the public homage of acknowledging the
transgressions which might justly provoke the manifestation of His
divine displeasure seeking His merciful forgiveness.
Yet, our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, followed those before him,
their footsteps, and also declared a day of national humiliation,
fasting, and prayer.
Abraham Lincoln acknowledged in his address in 1863 that: ``It is the
duty of nations as well as men to own their dependence upon the
overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in
humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead
to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in
the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only
are blessed whose God is the Lord.''
Lincoln would go on to say: ``But we have forgotten God. We have
forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied
and enriched and strengthened us. . . . we have become too self-
sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too
proud to pray to the God that made us.
``It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended
power, to confess our national sins and pray for clemency and
forgiveness.''
When pondering Lincoln's words, I was personally reminded of
Deuteronomy 8:11, I will paraphrase, where Moses warns the people of
God not to turn away from the Lord.
For those of us who are sitting in this Chamber, as a staff member
reminded me and pointed out, Moses is the only image in this room that
is looking directly at ``In God We Trust'' which presides above the
Speaker's rostrum.
It is Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 8 who said: ``Do not forget the
Lord your God.'' He admonished them to keep His commandments and His
ordinances. He goes on to say: ``Which I am commanding you today;
otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good
houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply,
and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies,
then your heart will become proud, and you will forget your God.''
It sounds like Abraham Lincoln's 1863 address.
He goes on to say, in Deuteronomy chapter 8: ``But you shall remember
[[Page H3387]]
the Lord your God, for . . . if you ever forget the Lord your God and
go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against
you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord
makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not
listen to the voice of the Lord your God.'' That is Deuteronomy chapter
8 of the Bible.
Standing in this Chamber today, we have the opportunity to humble
ourselves before God, seek His pardon individually for our Nation, His
forgiveness. This mandate is not only a part of our biblical heritage,
as we will continue to point out in this special hour, it is part of
our congressional and our Nation's heritage.
As Moses from the back of this Chamber looks down over that doorway,
His admonishment rings true today. If America continues down a path of
immorality, pride, and turning to idolatry, we will see the demise of
our Nation.
I will conclude with this. John Adams, the second President of the
United States, said: ``Suppose a nation in some distant region should
take the Bible for their only law book and every member should regulate
his conduct by the precepts there exhibited . . . what a utopia, what a
paradise would this region be.'' For our country to survive the 250
years ahead so that peace and prosperity are passed down to our
posterity. We must turn to the guiding hand of the Almighty, seek His
forgiveness, and follow suit with that which He has asked of us.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr.
Harris).
Mr. HARRIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and
the gentleman from Oklahoma, Representative Brecheen, for this Special
Order.
Mr. Speaker, the foundation of this Nation was not laid in silence,
but in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
As we approach the 250th birthday of America, we reflect on the
courageous actions of 56 men who came together in Philadelphia in 1776
to declare independence and to set in motion the birth of a new Nation
grounded in liberty, justice, and faith in God.
These signers, as we already heard tonight, pledged their lives,
their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the cause of freedom. And as
we remember their sacrifice, we are also called to reflect on the
enduring principles they set forth and the responsibility we carry to
preserve and strengthen them even today.
They knew their strength alone was not enough. Only God's guidance
could actually sustain a nation and make our freedom possible. Psalm
33:12 declares: ``Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.''
We express our gratitude to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for
His providence over the United States and all nations. We are, indeed,
one nation under God.
We must pray for our Nation. Praying for our Nation is part of a
longstanding American tradition. During the Revolutionary War, when the
future of our Nation was far from guaranteed, the Continental Congress
paused to designate a national day of thanksgiving and prayer to give
thanks to the Lord, to seek His wisdom and His protection and to ask
for the strengthening of the people's unity.
In 1777, the Continental Congress called Americans to come together
``with one heart and one voice'' in solemn thanksgiving and praise. You
see, Mr. Speaker, that same spirit is reflected in today's National
Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving, a time to unite in
gratitude, seek God's guidance, and renew our commitment to the values
that strengthen this Nation.
George Washington prayed that God would hold this Nation in His holy
protection and incline the hearts of its citizens toward brotherly
affection and love for one another.
You see, Mr. Speaker, that prayer remains just as relevant today. I
have the privilege of serving both as a Member of Congress for the
Eighth District of North Carolina and as a pastor. I have witnessed
firsthand the power of prayer, in my church, in families, and in
moments when our Nation needed healing, wisdom, and revival.
Today, let us pray for an end to political violence in our Nation. No
American should be targeted for their beliefs, their service, or their
convictions. Let us pray for peace in the Middle East. Let us pray for
our President and for my colleagues in the House and Senate regardless
of political party. Let us pray for revival of prayer, thanksgiving,
and praise across this Nation.
May the Lord continue to do His good work through this Nation, for
without His guidance we are lost.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina
for his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and my
colleague for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, it is a humbling moment for us to acknowledge that we
are failed and fallen humans in the presence of God in service to our
fellow man standing in the Chamber of the people's House. We have been
reminded that there are 23 marble busts in relief that surround the
walls of this Chamber above the gallery, one of which is facing you,
Mr. Speaker, and that is Moses.
There are many men are up there, George Mason, William Blackstone,
Thomas Jefferson, Solomon, but only Moses faces you, Mr. Speaker.
Only Moses faces the podium of the Chamber of the people's House in
the land of the free. Our Founders were men anointed by God, and we are
called upon to acknowledge that spiritual foundation, once again, in
our country.
{time} 2100
This is an acknowledgment that crosses the barriers of politics, Mr.
Speaker, and joins us as one people. Regardless of where we stand upon
economic strata, regardless of our color, creed, or heritage, and
despite political affiliation or party, we are bonded as one man, under
God, in service to our fellow man.
Yet, we struggle. We struggle to know what is right. We seek that as
children of God, as men and women attempting to serve we the people. We
struggle to know what is right, do we not, Mr. Speaker? Our Founders
struggled, as well.
America was founded by imperfect men with a perfect vision. The
preamble of our Constitution says: We the people of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect Union--in order to form a more perfect
Union.
There is an old saying in the horse business: The way a horse leaves
the gate is the way he is going to run.
The preamble, the document that established our laws, stated that
they were humble men, imperfect men. They acknowledged the fact that we
are human. We have failed and fallen since Adam. We seek to understand
what Paul meant when he told us in Corinthians to place not your faith
in the wisdom of man but in the spirit and power of God. This is the
Chamber where we carry the responsibility to merge the wisdom of man
within and beneath the spirit and power of God.
We all have a story, do we not, Mr. Speaker, of how our families came
to be here? Many years ago, 200 years ago, a young Irishman born into
indentured servitude far away heard whispers of a Nation born where a
man could own the land that he worked. This was unheard of for a common
Irish lad.
He risked everything, all he had, left the land of his heritage, and
boarded a boat that was converted from carrying commercial goods to
carrying human beings. According to a letter unearthed by my mother and
my aunt many, many generations later, his sleeping berth measured 2 by
2 by 5.
Literally, by the way the winds blew, Mr. Speaker, that boat landed
in the Port of New Orleans. That young Irishman was the beginning of my
family. He came here seeking freedom. He knew that he would deliver
work, ethics, principles, Christian faith, determination, and courage,
but he knew he stood beneath God.
He landed in a Nation that was going to give him the opportunity to
build something for the next generation, and indeed he did.
I ask, Mr. Speaker, are we worthy of the things that we have
described tonight? All of us, on both sides of the aisle, the citizenry
we serve that sit in the gallery, are we worthy of what it is to be an
American citizen and a child of God?
We seek to prove that worth every day, yet we fall short of the glory
of God. We arise again from bended knee
[[Page H3388]]
and struggle to be worthy of this service to our fellow man.
Mr. Speaker, let me close by saying that we shan't be judged by how
we fall. A man's character should not be measured by how he falls, but
it should be measured by how he stands back up. As a nation, this is
where we are.
Our children's children will not measure us by the fact that our
Nation has stumbled to the extent that it has, but this generation will
be measured by how we stand back up.
Let me humbly deliver this message to the American people: Stand back
up in the glory of God. Remember the words of Paul, place not your
faith in the wisdom of man but in the spirit and power of God. Let us
stand as a Nation, as brothers and sisters, as children of God, beneath
the glory of the flag that waves above us.
Mr. Speaker, God bless us one and all.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for
his words. It is great to transition from the accent of Louisiana to
the accent of Tennessee. I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee
(Mrs. Harshbarger).
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in
recognizing this year's national jubilee of prayer and praise and
thanksgiving. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on something
that is near and dear to my heart.
I come from east Tennessee. It is a place where faith isn't just
something you practice on Sunday morning. It is woven into the fabric
of who we are. It shapes how we raise our children, how we care for our
neighbors, and, yes, how we govern.
If you look at the history of this great Nation, that is exactly how
our Founders intended it to be. From the very beginning, America's
leaders understood something that too many in Washington have
forgotten: that we are not self-sufficient, that the blessings of
liberty--the prosperity, the freedom, the strength of this Nation--do
not come from us. They come from God.
When English settlers first landed at Cape Henry in 1607, they
planted a cross and offered prayers, dedicating their endeavor to God.
That spirit of faith was part of America's foundation.
When the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in
1774--facing a crisis, facing uncertainty, facing the very real
possibility of war--one of the very first things those delegates did
was bow their heads in prayer. By all accounts, that prayer changed the
room, and it brought divided men together. It gave them clarity, and it
gave them courage.
When our Constitution was hanging by a thread at the Constitutional
Convention in 1787, when tempers had flared, and delegates were walking
out, Benjamin Franklin urged the delegates to seek divine guidance with
humility and prayer before continuing their work on what would become
the greatest governing document in the history of the world.
I am proud to say that Tennessee has been part of this tradition.
Three of this Nation's Presidents called Tennessee home, Andrew
Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. Each one of them understood
the weight of the Presidency and that it demands more than human wisdom
alone.
Andrew Jackson, in his inaugural address, called it the most fervent
prayer that almighty God, the same God who had kept this Republic from
its infancy, would overrule his intentions and actions for the good of
the American people.
James K. Polk, in his own inaugural address in 1845, fervently
invoked the aid of the almighty ruler of the universe to guard this
Heaven-favored land against the mischiefs that arise from unwise
policy.
Andrew Johnson, who assumed the Presidency under some of the most
painful circumstances in American history following the assassination
of Abraham Lincoln, called the Nation to a special day of humiliation
and prayer and later issued a Thanksgiving proclamation, calling
Americans to give thanks to God for the perseverance of the United
States.
{time} 2110
Three Tennesseans, three Presidents. All of them, in their highest
moments of responsibility, all turned to prayer.
George Washington, in his Circular Letter to the States, asked God to
``incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of
subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly
affection and love for one another.''
Abraham Lincoln, in the darkest days of the Civil War, called on the
Nation to humble itself before God, not out of weakness, but out of
wisdom. He recognized that we had forgotten God.
On June 6, 1944, as Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy,
President Franklin Roosevelt didn't give a victory speech. He led the
Nation in prayer.
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is overwhelming. This Nation was built on
prayer. It has been sustained by prayer. If we want to see it restored,
it will be through prayer.
I know it is not a popular thing to say in some circles in Washington
these days, but faith has been pushed out of the public square. Prayer
has been treated like something to be embarrassed about or hidden away.
We are told to keep our beliefs private.
I refuse to accept that. As a matter of fact, I rebuke that. I don't
think the American public accepts it either.
I have been a pharmacist for almost 40 years, and I have stood behind
the counter when people were at the lowest points in their lives, when
they were diagnosed with cancer or certain other ailments. The ones who
leaned on their faith and the ones who prayed, they had something to
hold onto--something that no government program, no prescription, no
piece of legislation could ever replace.
That is why I believe deeply that this National Jubilee of Prayer,
Praise, and Thanksgiving isn't just about a nice tradition. It is a
necessity.
As we celebrate 250 years of American freedom this year, we have an
extraordinary opportunity to do what our Founders did--to stop, to
humble ourselves, to give thanks, and to ask for guidance, not because
we are weak, but because we are wise enough to know that the blessings
we enjoy are not of our own making.
Psalm 33:12 reminds us--and I think Mark said it a minute ago--
``Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.'' May that always be
true of America.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee,
very sincere.
With that, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Oklahoma for leading this great Special Order this evening, very
timely.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate this year's
National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving.
Since the founding of our Nation, the people in the spirit of this
great country have been rooted in a firm belief in God--evidence that
as Americans we are ``One nation under God.''
In 1607, when English settlers landed at Cape Henry before traveling
inward to establish what would later become Jamestown, their first act
was not to build a fort, but to kneel in prayer. This early act of
worship on American soil confirmed that our country's original intent
was not bound by political and economic construction, but in our
dedication to faith.
Acts of worship continued to shape our Nation's early history and
were central in the observance of Thanksgiving. This time unites all
Americans to give thanks to God for his protection and wellness,
cementing faith as a central pillar of our history.
Our Nation was forged upon the belief in absolute, God-given rights--
a truth that reminds us that there is a higher authority than any
government or any political figure.
In 1775, our Founding Fathers issued proclamations to recognize
national days of fasting, humiliation, and prayer.
From 1777 to 1784, more than 10 of these proclamations were observed,
encouraging all Americans to express gratitude and reflect through
worship.
Our Founders knew that liberty requires a spiritual anchor, and as
Benjamin Franklin famously told the Constitutional Convention: ``God
governs in the affairs of men.''
While our country has changed over the last 250 years, our steadfast
reliance on faith remains constant.
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Faith and prayer have played a central role in my life and as a
foundation of my work in Congress.
For many Americans, our faith is what compels us to care for the
vulnerable, to serve our communities with humility, and to see one
another not as adversaries but brothers and sisters.
I hope that on this National Day of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving,
Americans across our country can unite in our steadfast belief in God.
As a Nation, let's look ahead to the next 250 years with the same
conviction in uniting under prayer, worship, and thanksgiving.
Mr. Speaker, I once again thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for
hosting this.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson. I know he has a
busy schedule and I thank him for joining us.
Next, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann), my neighbor to
the north.
Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special
Order hour and for his leadership on this very important time for our
country.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as our Nation prepares to celebrate 250
years of American independence. For nearly two-and-a-half centuries,
America has been a nation not like any other, not because of the size
of our economy, the strength of our military, or the power of our
government, but because our founding was rooted in the simple and
revolutionary truth that our rights are derived from God, not from
government.
The Declaration of Independence says that we are endowed by our
creator with certain inalienable rights. That belief has guided our
country through war, hardship, division, and uncertainty. It has
reminded generations that freedom is a gift, and with that gift comes
responsibility.
Kansas understands this well. Our State was born in the struggle over
freedom. From the days of Bleeding Kansas to the farmers, ranchers,
teachers, pastors, and families who built our communities, Kansans have
always known that liberty must be defended and faith has an important
place in public life.
Growing up as a western Kansas farm kid, I was taught the value of
faith, family, hard work, and personal responsibility. Those values
shaped my life. My faith is my foundation. It shaped how I serve and
how I approach the work before us in this Chamber.
Throughout our Nation's history, leaders have turned to God in
moments of hardship. Benjamin Franklin, as mentioned before, called for
prayer during the Constitutional Convention.
President Lincoln called the Nation to prayer during the Civil War.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., prayed for justice, courage, and freedom
as he led a movement that helped America live up to its founding
promise.
Today, we face challenges of our own. We see the breakdown of the
family, adrift from faith and personal responsibility, deep divisions
in our politics, and confusion about right and wrong. Washington cannot
solve these problems through legislation alone. A free country depends
on the character of its people.
This is why this 250th anniversary should be more than a celebration.
It should be a moment of reflection, humility, prayer, and renewal. We
should thank God for the blessings of liberty, repent where we have
fallen short, and ask for the courage to preserve this country for the
next and future generations.
Like Solomon, I pray for a discerning heart to govern and to
distinguish between right and wrong. I pray that our leaders seek
wisdom, that our families be strengthened, that our communities be
restored, and that our Nation turn back toward the values that have
sustained America from its beginning.
May God bless our families, our communities, the great State of
Kansas, and the United States of America.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Very well said. I thank Representative Mann.
I now yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford).
Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and brother in
Christ, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, as a little boy from Baytown, Texas, I never thought I
would be here on the House floor talking about God Almighty. Yet, he
has put me here today to do just that, and I am extremely humbled to do
that.
Humiliation and humbleness are not common words you hear today, not a
common concept, but in James 4:10, it says: ``Humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.'' Above your head, Mr.
Speaker, are the words: ``In God We Trust.''
This Sunday, Mr. Speaker, Americans across our great land will
observe the National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving. I
believe that it is fitting that we pause to remember this is not new to
America.
From the very beginning, in times of war and uncertainty, division,
and hardship, our leaders have called this Nation to its knees before
God.
In 1775, as the fires of the Revolution were kindled, Massachusetts
called her people to repentance, unity, and God's mercy.
In 1776, the Continental Congress summoned Americans to prayer and
fasting, seeking divine wisdom and strength.
Through the Revolution, through epidemics, through the trials of the
Civil War, generation after generation, Americans have humbled
themselves before their creator and prayed for the future of this
blessed land.
Mr. Speaker, even Abraham Lincoln in the crucible of that terrible
war warned that America had grown too proud to pray for the God that
made us.
My friends, I am here to tell you today that whether we are religious
or not, there is timeless wisdom in gratitude, humility, and moral
reflection, especially in times like these.
Missouri carries this tradition proudly. Last week, our Governor,
Governor Mike Kehoe, proclaimed May 7, 2026, as a day of prayer in our
State under the theme ``Glorify God among the nations.''
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This year also marks the 75th annual observance of The National Day
of Prayer in Missouri, a tradition that has united Missourians of every
background for generations.
Across our State, our churches, and our communities, we are coming
together in a ``Jubilee of Hope,'' with pilgrimages, gatherings, and
acts of service, living proof that prayer is still alive and still a
force in America.
America has never been perfect, but one thing has carried this Nation
through every dark valley: the willingness of her people to stop, to
reflect, to seek forgiveness where it is needed, to give thanks for our
countless blessings, and to ask for wisdom as we move forward.
As President Reagan reminded us: ``Prayer has sustained our people in
crisis, strengthened us in times of challenge, and guided us through
our daily lives since the first settlers came to this continent.''
He also declared with conviction: ``God doesn't need America but
America needs God. If we ever forget that we are one nation under God,
we will be a nation gone under.''
Mr. Speaker, that spirit, that spirit of a people who place their
trust in Providence, is worth preserving with all of our hearts.
So as this National Jubilee is observed, I urge every American,
everyone in this room, in the gallery watching today, watching tonight,
I urge every American to take a moment to thank God Almighty for the
blessings that we have received, the sacred responsibilities that we
all carry no matter if you are Democrat or Republican, and the kind of
country, that shining city upon that hill, we want to pass on to our
children and our grandchildren.
Some 40 years ago, President Reagan said something to this effect:
The time has come for us to reassert our trust in God. The time has
come for us to realize that we need Him more than He needs us. The time
has come for us to turn to God for the healing of America.
Mr. Speaker, as I close tonight, I will tell everyone in this room,
our Nation needs healing. This body needs healing. Let each of us here
tonight and in this body pledge today to be a part of that healing,
healing through prayer to God Almighty.
And with faith in God, confidence in our principles, and that
unbreakable American optimism, I believe with all my heart that our
greatest days are still ahead of us as a nation.
[[Page H3390]]
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for
his comments.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Aderholt), a good friend and chairman of the Values Action Team to
provide comments.
Before I do that, I will extend that I am truly grateful that he and
I in talking about doing this said to me, I think this is bigger than
even that. I know many will rarely see the Speaker of the House come on
the floor, which he did tonight, and I thank the chairman for setting
this up and for letting the Membership know about this.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my support for this
Special Order that commemorates the 250th anniversary of what I like to
refer to as the ``semiquincentennial'' of the founding of our Nation
and the underpinning of faith and religious commitment that has
sustained our Nation from those very first days.
I do appreciate Congressman Brecheen for organizing this and
including me in this. Indeed, this is bigger than any issue that we
face in Congress. This is the bedrock, and so taking a few minutes here
this evening to recognize that is so important.
Mr. Speaker, the Founding Fathers who preceded us in the Continental
Congress back in May 1776 made it a priority to acknowledge God. They
passed a resolution calling for penitence, prayer, and thanksgiving,
and they called it our indispensable duty to: publicly acknowledge God,
confess our offensives against him, and to beg for his intervention.
I believe God answered those prayers in ways that would go far beyond
what they even dreamed of. God has, indeed, prospered the United States
of America over these past 250 years. But as a nation, we have sadly
strayed, as has been mentioned here tonight, from the gratitude that we
owe to that provision.
Today, as Members of Congress, we come together standing in front
just under you, Mr. Speaker, the motto, ``In God We Trust,'' and we
feel the great privilege of blessing that we have inherited from the
spiritual inheritance that we were given.
As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary and look toward the
future, if we are to extend that heritage and see our country flourish
in the future, we must rededicate ourselves to shoring up the
foundation of faith has sustained us.
Obviously, it is a very good thing that we have the opportunity this
Sunday to come together on The National Mall to spend a day of
thanksgiving and prayer just as they did 250 years ago.
I know everyone can't come to The National Mall this Sunday, but you
can take a moment and the opportunity to spend some time in prayer and
reflect on this Nation, remembering that there are so many people in
the world that don't have that privilege to meet together in prayer.
As a Member of Congress, I am reminded there are so many people in
the world that don't have that privilege. As a young man who grew up in
rural Alabama and as a young boy who decided to accept Christ as my
Savior, I never imagined that there were people in the world that would
be punished for expressing their faith, but it happened then and it is
happening now.
We pray for them as well as we pray for our own Nation. May this
Nation be one that we always are able to express our faith with
confidence and without any fear of the government.
Mr. Speaker, I add my prayers to those of my colleagues here tonight.
May God guide us and may God sustain us and our work here in the House,
and may He continue to bless these United States of America.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, again, for his help
in organizing this.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank Josh Brecheen for
arranging this Special Order. We are speaking now on the 250th
anniversary of the United States, the anniversary of this blessed
Nation. We should thank God for all He has given to this country.
On this anniversary, we can't help but take stock of the condition of
this country. While people back home are concerned about material
concerns, that is true, but if I asked them what the real problems are
in the country, they almost uniformly are concerned about a moral
breakdown. This is not surprising.
{time} 2130
John Adams warned that our country was made for a moral and religious
nation and totally unfit for any other kind.
This is our problem. No one can doubt that in the last 50, 60, or 80
years in this country, our country has become less moral and less
religious. This has become a particularly greater trend over the last
couple of decades.
Our forefathers routinely prayed to a Christian God. All the way up
through Abraham Lincoln, our Presidents called upon our Nation to fast
as they prayed to God.
Today, by the way, you can't even get the clergy themselves to ask
for a day of fasting.
Our forefathers, the most popular book they read in the Bible was the
book of Deuteronomy, the book that has the Ten Commandments in it and a
book that dealt a lot with the laws that Israel was founded in.
In any event, I should also point out that behind me here, we have
the reliefs here in the U.S. Congress. The most prominent position is
given to a relief of Moses, which is an indication that our forefathers
wanted a very religious Nation.
Mr. Speaker, let us one more time pray to God to rededicate this
country to Him. We must pray for faith to bring this country back to
its God-fearing roots, and one more time not only call on prayer and
fasting as we try to work our way back to what this country once was
and what we must be again if we are going to continue to survive,
because no matter what laws we pass in this body, if we are not a moral
and religious nation, we are through.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his words. I
thank all of our speakers for their comments.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I don't take it lightly to stand on the
floor of the United States Congress and talk about this subject. Most
people who do not have a Biblical undergirding would watch this and
wonder why I would take the time to do this on the floor of the House
of Representatives.
It is because of the things that I pointed out in my commentary and
many Members have pointed out, whether it be George Washington, who
said in his farewell address that you can't even claim to be a patriot
if you should seek to undermine the pillars of religion and morality.
It is the bended-knee Washington that is to my left here who we know
not only believed that a nation was to call itself unto a place of a
posture of humility but as individuals.
History is ripe with all the different things that Washington did and
said. He even banned cursing in his Army because of his observance to
his code of virtue, as derived from the reading of his Bible.
You have a man who claimed to be an enemy of vice and a friend of
virtue, Benjamin Franklin. He was imperfect. History recounts that, but
we see all through history imperfect people being used for great
purposes.
It is Benjamin Franklin, you heard tonight, who stood in front of the
confederacy at the time as they were trying to figure out what they
were going to do about the tyranny of one of the States, and they had
locked the doors and studied different things.
Before he utters to Elizabeth Powell that it is a republic if you can
keep it, he said these words in front of the people as they were
struggling. He was calling them to pray, trying to figure out what this
form of government was going to look like.
He said: ``The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of
this truth--that . . . if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without
His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?''
He then called them to give a chaplaincy of sorts, and that is what
history recounts, change in a hopeless situation to where our
Constitution came into fruition weeks later.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to land the plane with this. We have talked
about the past. In the Pledge of Allegiance, ``one Nation under God,''
Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower--most people don't realize that as
a young
[[Page H3391]]
man, Eisenhower, living on a farm ranch to the north of Oklahoma,
suffered an infection. The doctor told his mother that because of how
this infection set up in his leg, they needed to amputate. Young
Eisenhower had his brother stand guard at the door and basically told
him: Do not allow them to amputate my leg.
History recounts that the doctor stood at the door and said that it
is murder, basically, if you don't amputate. They did an all-night
prayer vigil. By that all-night prayer vigil, the Supreme Allied
Commander, who would later become a commissioned officer to lead not
only our country but the nations to overcome Hitler and the threat to a
world that it was, what would have happened if he and his family did
not believe in the power of prayer?
It is what led a young Eisenhower to become President Eisenhower, to
do all the things that he did in terms of making sure that we had added
``one Nation under God'' as a part of our history, recent history. He
believed that prayer was not just job preparation. It was the job, not
only as President but as Supreme Allied Commander.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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