[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21673]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 PRAYER IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday of this week in the United 
States District Court of Northern Virginia, in Florida, Pensacola 
Division, a principal who served his school district for 30 years and 
an athletic director who served them for 40 years in a little school 
district in Santa Rosa County will be carried to a hearing in Federal 
court.
  So why did over 60 Members of Congress today sign the letter standing 
with that principal and that athletic director and against this Federal 
judge? Why is it different than so many other cases? Why is it special? 
Because, Mr. Speaker, it is one of the first times we have literally 
had the potential for the criminalization of prayer in the United 
States of America.
  What was the big crime that this principal and athletic director did? 
What was the great offense? This school principal, with 30 years of 
service, asked the athletic director of the school, who had 40 years of 
service, to offer a blessing before a meal that was being held for 
private donors to the school's athletic program.
  The Federal judge for this court has set a date for this Thursday, 
suggesting that they could be punished with a $5,000 fine, 6 months in 
prison, and the revocation of their retirement benefits. Why? Because 
one of them prayed. Why? Because one of them asked for the prayer. In 
fact, under the order issued by this judge in this court, this 
principal would not have been able to ask the President of the United 
States to speak at the school if the President concluded his speech, as 
he often does, with the phrase ``God bless America.''
  If this action is allowed to stand, make no mistake, there will come 
a day when the Speaker of this House will be hauled into Federal court 
and threatened with jail because she dares to stand at that podium 
where you stand tonight and ask our chaplain to start our day with the 
prayer.
  If this case stands, there will come a day when that chaplain is 
carried to court and threatened with jail because he offers that prayer 
he is asked to offer.
  How far we've come from the day when 56 of the greatest Americans 
ever birthed pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred 
honor to defend a set of rights that ultimately gave us the right to 
stand on this floor tonight, a set of rights that have guided this 
Nation through darkness and through the light. But most of all, a set 
of rights given to us by the very Creator, the mention of whom by this 
principal or this athletic director could now lead them to a jail term.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight we need to ask how far we have come. And if we 
do, the answer is clear: Too far. It is time for Americans to simply 
say enough is enough.

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