House Approves Forbes’ Resolution on National Motto, President Complains

By Jason Johnson | Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 | Politics

Virginia congressman Randy Forbes’ proposed resolution, H. Con. Res. 13, which reaffirms that “In God We Trust” is our national motto and encourages the motto’s display in all public buildings, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last night on a vote of 396-9.

Rep. Forbes was understandably pleased that his resolution passed–and with broad, bipartisan support:

In the decades since the 84^th Congress promulgated ‘In God We Trust’ as our official national motto, a growing, disturbing pattern of inaccuracy and omissions regarding the motto has arisen in the public square from speeches made by the President of the United States in foreign nations, to the sanitization of ‘In God We Trust’ from the half-billion dollar Capitol Visitor Center by American historians.  Today, as in other times of division and difficulty in our nation’s history, the House of Representatives again reaffirmed ‘In God We Trust’ as our official motto and in so doing, provided clarity amidst a cloud of confusion about our nation’s spiritual heritage and offered inspiration to an American people that face challenges of historic proportion.”

Not everyone is enamored of the resolution; Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott joined seven other Democrats and one Republican in voting against the resolution.  (Two congressmen voted “Present” and 26 did not vote.)  Rep. Scott explained that he opposed the resolution because it was both unconstitutional (as outlined here) and a distraction from the more pressing economic challenges our nation faces–including, um, “children who by the very circumstances of their birth are injected onto a Cradle to Prison Pipeline.”

President Obama echoed Rep. Scott’s objections today at a campaign appearance speech in Georgetown in which he ridiculed the resolution and chided House Republicans for not taking up his jobs bill.

“That’s not putting people back to work,” Obama said. “I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people to work.  …There’s no excuse for 100 percent of Washington Republicans to say no….”

In disorienting times like these, it is important for the nation and her citizens to remember the source of national strength.  This commonsense measure by Rep. Forbes to re-state the importance of God in the life of our nation is therefore important, but there is clearly other important legislative work to be done too.  Perhaps, once the Senate either approves one of the more than dozen job creation measures sent to it from the House or passes some other legislation that actually addresses our nations financial situation (how many years since we’ve had a budget – I’ve lost count) then the House will have economic issues to work on again.

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