Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a bill that would place the national motto of the United States, “In God We Trust,” on all federal buildings.
Should the bill pass, the General Services Administration (GSA) would have one year to display the national motto in a prominent place in all federal buildings.
“Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln. Congress adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto in 1956 during the rise of atheist communism, and it remains our national motto today,” Hawley said in a statement. “The In God We Trust Act will ensure that the federal government—as well as the American people for whom it works—never forgets the ultimate source of the liberty and prosperity this country enjoys. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government.”
Hawley’s bill comes as President Trump announced the “America Prays” initiative ahead of the nation’s 250th celebration. “Next year, we will celebrate 250 years since that Declaration was signed. As part of the grand commemoration… we’ve invited America’s great faith communities to pray for our nation, for our people, and for peace in the world, and it’s going to be an amazing time,” Trump said.
The America Prays webpage asks, “What if one million Americans dedicated one hour a week to praying for our country and our people?” It goes on to encourage Americans to gather with at least 10 people weekly to pray for the nation.
“This dedicated time of prayer is not only for our nation, but for its people because a nation is only as strong as its citizens,” the page declares.
