Congress Takes Further Action to Support Pledge

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 6/28/02 | Jeff Johnson

[kattracks]

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Apparently not content with its resolution Wednesday condemning the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision ruling the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, the Senate has passed a bill affirming the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in the pledge.

Senate Resolution 2690 passed by a vote of 99 - 0 Thursday afternoon.

The House also took action, on House Resolution 459, introduced by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). The resolution, which expresses the sense of the House "that Newdow v. U.S. Congress was erroneously decided," passed by a vote of 416 to 3, with 11 members voting present and five not voting.

Judge Alfred T. Goodwin wrote that the phrase "under God" is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion, and violates the so-called "establishment clause" of the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), president pro tempore of the Senate, suggested that anyone who has a problem with the presence of religion in American life leave the country. He dared the two judges who voted to declare the pledge unconstitutional to try to have him arrested for saying it on the Senate floor and called the judges "stupid." Byrd also warned that the judges would be "black-balled" if their names came before the Senate for promotion while he remains in office.

Sensenbrenner said the court "treated the word 'God' as a poison pill."

"Rarely has any court - even the notoriously liberal Ninth Circuit - shown such disdain for the will of the people, an Act of Congress, and our American traditions," he said. "What's next, a court ruling taking 'In God We Trust' off of money?"

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee noted that current federal court rulings prohibit individuals who disagree with the content of the pledge from being forced to recite it.

"Under West Virginia Board of Education versus Barnette, individuals cannot be compelled to recite the Pledge of Allegiance," he noted "We recognize the right of those who do not share the beliefs expressed in the pledge not to recite the pledge, but this ruling treats religious speech as inherently evil."

Sensenbrenner said the ruling is "an attempt to remove religious speech from the public arena by those who disagree. In essence, it's a heckler's veto."

"We in Congress will do whatever it takes to void this laughable ruling," he added.

The Ninth Circuit has gained a reputation for being reversed by the Supreme Court. According to research by the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, Ninth Circuit decisions reviewed by the Supreme Court have been reversed 80 to 90 percent of the time since 1996.

One jurist on the court, Judge Stephen Reinhardt was reversed 11 times during the 1996-97 term and holds the record for having the most unanimous reversals of any federal judge in a single term, five. His more widely publicized decisions include permitting California "cannabis clubs" to continue operating and striking down Washington State's ban on so-called assisted suicide.

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[Gaston]

The resolution, which expresses the sense of the House "that Newdow v. U.S. Congress was erroneously decided," passed by a vote of 416 to 3, with 11 members voting present and five not voting.

I sure would like to know their names.

[Freemeorkillme]

Let Senator Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, here your voices. senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov We need to FReep hard and fast and vigilantly.

Pro-FReep those that are standing up for what's right and encourage them into action. A resolution of condemnation can be seen as just grandstanding. Actions following a condemnation will be seen as progress.

[smith288]

Freeped... I also told him to thank his colleagues for me for handing us a timely gimmee.

[Freemeorkillme]

Forgot to include this in the original post. Pay careful attention to the reds that voted "Yea"s.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 273
(Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)

H RES 459 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 27-JUN-2002 4:16 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree
BILL TITLE: Expressing the Sense of the House of Representatives that Newdow v. U.S. Congress was Erroneously Decided, and for other purposes

YEAS NAYS PRES NV
REPUBLICAN 220 2
DEMOCRATIC 194 3 11 3
INDEPENDENT 2
TOTALS 416 3 11 5


--- YEAS 416 --- Abercrombie Goss Osborne
Aderholt Graham Ose
Akin Granger Otter
Allen Graves Owens
Andrews Green (TX) Oxley
Armey Green (WI) Pallone
Baca Grucci Pascrell
Bachus Gutknecht Pastor
Baird Hall (OH) Paul
Baker Hall (TX) Payne
Baldacci Hansen Pelosi
Baldwin Harman Pence
Ballenger Hart Peterson (MN)
Barcia Hastert Peterson (PA)
Barr Hastings (WA) Petri
Barrett Hayes Phelps
Bartlett Hayworth Pickering
Barton Hefley Pitts
Bass Herger Platts
Becerra Hill Pombo
Bentsen Hilleary Pomeroy
Bereuter Hilliard Portman
Berkley Hinchey Price (NC)
Berry Hinojosa Pryce (OH)
Biggert Hobson Putnam
Bilirakis Hoeffel Quinn
Bishop Hoekstra Radanovich
Blagojevich Holden Rahall
Blunt Holt Ramstad
Boehlert Hooley Rangel
Boehner Horn Regula
Bonilla Hostettler Rehberg
Bonior Houghton Reyes
Bono Hoyer Reynolds
Boozman Hulshof Riley
Borski Hunter Rivers
Boswell Hyde Rodriguez
Boucher Inslee Roemer
Boyd Isakson Rogers (KY)
Brady (PA) Israel Rogers (MI)
Brady (TX) Issa Rohrabacher
Brown (FL) Istook Ros-Lehtinen
Brown (OH) Jackson (IL) Ross
Brown (SC) Jackson-Lee (TX) Rothman
Bryant Jefferson Roybal-Allard
Burr Jenkins Royce
Burton John Rush
Buyer Johnson (CT) Ryan (WI)
Callahan Johnson (IL) Ryun (KS)
Calvert Johnson, E. B. Sabo
Camp Johnson, Sam Sanchez
Cannon Jones (NC) Sanders
Cantor Jones (OH) Sandlin
Capito Kanjorski Sawyer
Capps Kaptur Saxton
Cardin Keller Schaffer
Carson (IN) Kelly Schakowsky
Carson (OK) Kennedy (MN) Schiff
Castle Kennedy (RI) Schrock
Chabot Kerns Sensenbrenner
Chambliss Kildee Serrano
Clay Kilpatrick Sessions
Clayton Kind (WI) Shadegg
Clement King (NY) Shaw
Clyburn Kingston Shays
Coble Kirk Sherman
Collins Kleczka Sherwood
Combest Knollenberg Shimkus
Condit Kolbe Shows
Conyers Kucinich Shuster
Cooksey LaHood Simmons
Costello Lampson Simpson
Cox Langevin Skeen
Coyne Lantos Skelton
Cramer Larsen (WA) Slaughter
Crane Larson (CT) Smith (MI)
Crenshaw Latham Smith (NJ)
Crowley LaTourette Smith (TX)
Cubin Leach Smith (WA)
Culberson Lee Snyder
Cummings Levin Solis
Cunningham Lewis (CA) Souder
Davis (CA) Lewis (GA) Spratt
Davis (FL) Lewis (KY) Stearns
Davis (IL) Linder Stenholm
Davis, Jo Ann Lipinski Strickland
Davis, Tom LoBiondo Stump
Deal Lofgren Stupak
DeFazio Lowey Sullivan
DeGette Lucas (KY) Sununu
Delahunt Lucas (OK) Sweeney
DeLauro Luther Tancredo
DeLay Lynch Tanner
DeMint Maloney (CT) Tauscher
Deutsch Maloney (NY) Tauzin
Diaz-Balart Manzullo Taylor (MS)
Dicks Markey Taylor (NC)
Dingell Mascara Terry
Doggett Matheson Thomas
Dooley Matsui Thompson (CA)
Doolittle McCarthy (MO) Thompson (MS)
Doyle McCarthy (NY) Thornberry
Dreier McCollum Thune
Duncan McCrery Thurman
Dunn McGovern Tiahrt
Edwards McHugh Tiberi
Ehlers McInnis Tierney
Ehrlich McIntyre Toomey
Emerson McKeon Towns
Engel McKinney Turner
English McNulty Udall (CO)
Eshoo Meehan Udall (NM)
Etheridge Meek (FL) Upton
Evans Meeks (NY) Visclosky
Everett Menendez Vitter
Farr Mica Walden
Fattah Millender-McDonald Walsh
Ferguson Miller, Dan Wamp
Filner Miller, Gary Waters
Flake Miller, George Watkins (OK)
Fletcher Miller, Jeff Watson (CA)
Foley Mink Watts (OK)
Forbes Mollohan Waxman
Ford Moore Weiner
Fossella Moran (KS) Weldon (FL)
Frelinghuysen Moran (VA) Weldon (PA)
Frost Morella Weller
Gallegly Murtha Wexler
Ganske Myrick Whitfield
Gekas Napolitano Wicker
Gephardt Neal Wilson (NM)
Gibbons Nethercutt Wilson (SC)
Gilchrest Ney Wolf
Gillmor Northup Woolsey
Gilman Norwood Wu
Gonzalez Nussle Wynn
Goode Obey Young (AK)
Goodlatte Olver Young (FL)
Gordon Ortiz

--- NAYS 3 --- Honda Scott Stark

--- PRESENTS 11 --- Ackerman Gutierrez Oberstar
Blumenauer Hastings (FL) Velazquez
Capuano McDermott Watt (NC)
Frank Nadler

--- NOT VOTING 5 --- Berman LaFalce Traficant
Greenwood Roukema

[Sursum Corda]

--- NAYS 3 ---
Honda Scott Stark

--- PRESENTS 11 ---
Ackerman Gutierrez Oberstar
Blumenauer Hastings (FL) Velazquez
Capuano McDermott Watt (NC)
Frank Nadler

--- NOT VOTING 5 ---
Berman LaFalce Traficant
Greenwood Roukema

Sursum Corda --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[feedback doctor]

All No votes and "Present" votes were from friends the DemocRATS.

--- Yeas 416
Republican 220
Democrat 194
Independent 2


--- NAYS 3 ---
Democrats 3

Honda
Scott
Stark


--- PRESENTS 11 ---
Democrats 11

Ackerman
Gutierrez
Oberstar
Blumenauer
Hastings (FL)
Velazquez
Capuano
McDermott
Watt (NC)
Frank
Nadler

--- NOT VOTING 5 ---
Republican 3
Democrat 2

Berman
LaFalce
Traficant
Greenwood
Roukema

---

[Freemeorkillme]

We can further FReep the house here http://clerk.house.gov/index.p hp as the main site.

Here http://clerk.house.gov/members /mcapdir.php for the official telephone directory of the USHofR for the 107th.

Here http://clerk.house.gov/committ ee/oal.php3 for a list of Committees individual members are serving.

And, for a member-by-member list of reps' web sites and a "write your local rep link" at the top, check here http://www.house.gov/house/Mem berWWW_by_State.htm

For those FReepers who can't take that extra time(whether it be work or other circumstances), let us take up the extra slack now.

[Gaston]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Now I have something I have to do.

[mattdono]

--- NAYS 3 ---
Democrats 3

Honda
Scott
Stark


--- PRESENTS 11 ---
Democrats 11

Ackerman
Gutierrez
Oberstar
Blumenauer
Hastings (FL)
Velazquez
Capuano
McDermott
Watt (NC)
Frank
Nadler


A "Present" is the same as a "No" on this vote....

14 representatives, effectively, voted No...and, what do you know, ALL 14 ARE demoSTUPIDs. Who would'a thought?

[Freemeorkillme]

On the pro-FReep side, I'm going to contact Rep Scott McInnis of the 3rd district Colorado(R) and send him my appreciation and full support for the speech I saw him deliver on CPSAN Wednesday, I believe.

Pueblo
Congressman Scott McInnis
Pueblo Union Depot
134 West B Street
Pueblo, Colorado 81003
719-543-8200

Many positive things are going to come about as a result of this decision. We conservatives must remain positive for UNDER GOD, anything is possible.

[Freemeorkillme]

On the pro-FReep side, I'm going to contact Rep Scott McInnis of the 3rd district Colorado(R) and send him my appreciation and full support for the speech I saw him deliver on CPSAN Wednesday, I believe.

Pueblo
Congressman Scott McInnis
Pueblo Union Depot
134 West B Street
Pueblo, Colorado 81003
719-543-8200

Many positive things are going to come about as a result of this decision. We conservatives must remain positive for UNDER GOD, anything is possible.

[Pythagoras]

Its funny how the Democrats absolutely do not want to touch this one with a ten foot pole.

[Freemeorkillme]

Yes, they know which side their bread is buttered on(read-where the majority of America really resides) and it puts the fear of God into them. Rightly so, too. No pun intended.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Well...if anyone knows blackballing, its Senator Byrd.
The hypocrisy is UN believeable.

[meenie]

The resolution to this problem is rather simple. All Congress has to do is restrict the courts from issuing any opinion restricting people from the exercise of their rights under Amendment One of the Constitution.

[meenie]

The resolution to this problem is rather simple. All Congress has to do is restrict the courts from issuing any opinion restricting people from the exercise of their rights under Amendment One of the Constitution.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think you're on to something.

[4CJ]

He [Sen. Robert Byrd] dared the two judges who voted to declare the pledge unconstitutional to try to have him arrested for saying it on the Senate floor and called the judges "stupid."

"The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place."

He has immunity for what is said in Congress. Given that, he should have said much worse.

[kennyo]

All Congress has to do is restrict the courts from issuing any opinion restricting people from the exercise of their rights under Amendment One of the Constitution.

Restrict them from doing something that they're alreadry restricted from doing?This would imply that the constitutional restrictions don't apply to them unless specifically applied by congress.