“In God We Trust” will remain the national motto of the United States, a non-binding resolution passed by the House on Tuesday says. But while the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia, says the measure was necessary, others are dismissing it as a case of political posturing.
As reported by the Christian Science Monitor, the Virginia Republican felt the need to draft the resolution because President Obama once called “E pluribus unum” the national motto on an overseas visit. The Latin phrase meaning “From many, one” was even engraved in the new Capitol Visitors Center until Congress ordered its correction.
The measure passed the House 396-9 with two abstentions, but that doesn’t mean everyone was pleased by the bill. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, decried the bill as a “meaningless distraction from the nation’s real problems.”
“Nobody is threatening the national motto,” he said.
President Obama even took the time to weigh in Wednesday, addressing the Republican-controlled House and accusing its leaders of wasting time while the nation flounders in hard economic times.
“In the House of Representatives, what have you guys been doing, John?” Obama said, addressing House Speaker John Boehner. “You’ve been debating a commemorative coin for baseball. You’ve had legislation reaffirming that ‘In God We Trust’ is our motto. That’s not putting people back to work. I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.”
The president again urged action on his $60 billion plan for infrastructure jobs, which is expected to be blocked by a GOP filibuster Thursday, the Christian Science Monitor said. Republicans have already blocked Obama’s entire $447 billion jobs package as well as a $35 billion measure aiming to prevent the laying off of teachers and firefighters.
