[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 244, submitted 
earlier today by Senator Salazar.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The senior assistant bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 244) expressing support for the 
     Pledge of Allegiance.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
and preamble be agreed to, en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any 
statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record as if 
read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 244) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 244

       Whereas Congress in 1954 added the words ``under God'' to 
     the Pledge of Allegiance;
       Whereas the Pledge of Allegiance has for more than 50 years 
     included references to the U.S. flag, the country, to our 
     country having been established as a union ``under God'' and 
     to this country being dedicated to securing ``liberty and 
     justice for all'';
       Whereas the Congress in 1954 believed it was acting 
     constitutionally when it revised the Pledge of Allegiance;
       Whereas this Senate of the 109th Congress believes that the 
     Pledge of Allegiance is not an unconstitutional expression of 
     patriotism;
       Whereas patriotic songs, engravings on U.S. legal tender, 
     engravings on Federal buildings also contain general 
     references to ``God''; and
       Whereas the Congress expects that the U.S. Court of Appeals 
     for the Ninth Circuit will review on appeal the decision of 
     the District Court. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,
       Sec. 1. That the Senate strongly disapproves of the U.S. 
     District Court ruling in Newdow v. the Congress of United 
     States of America, et al., holding the Pledge of Allegiance 
     unconstitutional.
       Sec. 2. That the Senate authorize and instructs the Senate 
     Legal Counsel to continue to cooperate fully with the 
     Attorney General in this case in order to vigorously defend 
     the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance.

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