Reaffirming the Nation's commitment to one Nation Under God in the Pledge of Allegiance.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Res. 1334 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1334

Reaffirming the Nation's commitment to one Nation Under God in the Pledge of Allegiance.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 3, 2026

Mr. Barrett submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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RESOLUTION

Reaffirming the Nation's commitment to one Nation Under God in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Whereas America's Founding was rooted in the belief that every man, woman, and child is ``endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness''; Whereas references to God and divine providence have long been part of the Nation's civic traditions, including in the Declaration of Independence; Whereas the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776; Whereas President Abraham Lincoln first said the phrase ``Nation, under God,'' in the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery; Whereas the ``Pledge of Allegiance'' was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy to express loyalty to the United States and its constitutional republic; Whereas Congress formally recognized the Pledge of Allegiance on June 22, 1942, during World War II, as a symbol of national unity and patriotism; Whereas the Pledge of Allegiance became formally recognized in the Federal Flag Code (4 U.S.C. Sec. 4--Pledge of allegiance to the flag); Whereas Louis Charles Rabaut represented the 14th District of Michigan in the United States House of Representatives from 1935 to 1947 and 1949 to 1961; Whereas, on April 20, 1953, Louis Charles Rabaut of Michigan sponsored and introduced H.J.Res. 243, a resolution to include the words ``Under God'' in the Pledge to the Flag; Whereas Louis Charles Rabaut of Michigan was inspired to sponsor H.J.Res. 243 to distinguish the United States from the Soviet Union, stating that, ``the unbridgeable gap between America and Communist Russia is a belief in Almighty God''; Whereas the words ``under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance reflect the understanding that individual rights and liberties are derived from a higher and divine authority, and not from the government alone; Whereas, on June 14, 1954, Congress passed and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed H.J.Res. 243 that amended the Pledge of Allegiance to read: ``I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all''; Whereas millions of Americans voluntarily recite the Pledge of Allegiance each day in schools, civic ceremonies, public meetings, and patriotic observances across the United States; Whereas the words ``under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance continue to symbolize the humility of the Nation and the principle that governmental power is limited and accountable to enduring moral truths; Whereas, on January 1, 2026, Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America, proclaimed 2026 as a Year of Celebration and Rededication to the Nation's Founding; Whereas, on July 4, 2026, the Nation will celebrate and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking the United States of America's Semiquincentennial; and Whereas, as part of America's Semiquincentennial, on May 17, 2026, the ``Rededicate 250'' prayer event took place on the National Mall, led by President Trump and conservative religious leaders to mark America's 250th anniversary as ``one nation under God'': Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) reaffirms the Nation's commitment to one Nation Under God in the Pledge of Allegiance; and (2) reaffirms the phrase ``one Nation under God'' has and will continue to serve as a unifying affirmation of the shared values of faith, liberty, equality, and justice that underpin the American constitutional system for generations to come. <all>