The Co-Chairman of the Prayer Caucus in the United States House of Representatives,  J. Randy Forbes, announced today two great victories which protect America’s religious heritage.  They are as follows:

"WWII Memorial Prayer Act, H.R. 2070

In recent years there has been some controversy regarding the omission of the phrase “so help us God” in an inscription excerpting President Roosevelt's address to Congress following the attacks on Pearl Harbor..."

The bill, H.R. 2070, to remedy this was passed by a whopping margin of 386-26.

The second bill mentioned in Congressman Forbes’ email below is the:

“War Memorial Protection Act, H.R. 290

Legislation to allow religious symbols to be included in military monuments was introduced after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declared a cross that stands at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in California and that serves as a centerpiece of the Korean War Memorial to be an unconstitutional ‘government endorsement of religion.’…”

The bill, H.R. 290, to remedy this outrageous decision by the San Francisco-based and infamous 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals, was passed by the United States House of Representatives by a voice vote. 

Congressman Forbes’ House Prayer Caucus Co-Chairman is Congressman Mike McIntyre, a Democrat from North Carolina.  Note this information from the bipartisan House Prayer Caucus website; a link to the site is at the bottom:

About the Congressional Prayer Caucus

Purpose
Throughout the more than 200-year history of our nation, prayer has played a vital role in strengthening the fabric of our society. The purposes of the Congressional Prayer Caucus are to 1) recognize the vital role that prayer by individuals of all faiths has played in uniting us as a people and in making us a more generous, more cooperative, and more forgiving people than we might otherwise have been; 2) collect, exchange, and disseminate information about prayer as a fundamental and enduring feature of American life; 3) use the legislative process – both through sponsorship of affirmative legislation and through opposition to detrimental legislation – to assist the nation and its people in continuing to draw upon and benefit from this essential source of our strength and well-being. Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus also work together to preserve the presence of religion, faith, and morality in the marketplace of ideas.

History
In 2005, Congressman J. Randy Forbes gathered a small group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives who began meeting in Room 219 of the Capitol to pray for our nation. These Members later formed The Congressional Prayer Caucus – an official Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives – to formally acknowledge the important role that prayer plays in American life and history and to monitor and work to guard the right of individuals in America to pray.  Currently, Congressman Forbes and Congressman Mike McIntyre serve as the co-chairmen of this Caucus.  Today, the Prayer Caucus has grown to a bipartisan group of 103 Members dedicated to protecting religious liberty and recognizing our nations’ rich, spiritual history.

Christian Coalition of America is urging its supporters to keep Congressman J. Randy Forbes and Congressman Mike McIntyre and their House Prayer Caucus  in your prayers.   The rest of Congressman Forbes’ email is directly below:

Dear Friend -

Last week, the House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that would protect the freedom of religion in America and literally etch portions of our religious history in stone.

WWII Memorial Prayer Act, H.R. 2070
In recent years there has been some controversy regarding the omission of the phrase “so help us God” in an inscription excerpting President Roosevelt's address to Congress following the attacks on Pearl Harbor.  The National Park Service claims the phrase was excluded because it was not spoken at the point in the address from which the excerpt was derived.  This legislation directs the inscription of President Franklin Roosevelt’s historic “D-Day Prayer” at the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.  The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 386-26.

War Memorial Protection Act, H.R. 290
Legislation to allow religious symbols to be included in military monuments was introduced after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declared a cross that stands at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in California and that serves as a centerpiece of the Korean War Memorial to be an unconstitutional “government endorsement of religion.” This legislation ensures that memorials commemorating the U.S. Armed Forces may contain religious symbols. The bill passed the House by a voice vote.

There may come a day when a generation of Americans is willing to turn its back on our nation's religious heritage, but I am working to make sure that today is not that day and this is not that generation.

Follow my work on this issue here.

Yours in Service,
Randy Forbes