IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 214 

Directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide for the 

display of the Ten Commandments in the chamber of the House of 

Representatives if the Supreme Court of the United States rules against 

religious freedom by holding that the display of the Ten Commandments 

in public places by State and local governments constitutes a violation 

of the establishment clause of the first amendment to the Constitution 

of the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2005 

Mr. KING of Iowa (for himself, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. 

NORWOOD, Mr. PITTS, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. 

FOXX, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. GOODE, and Mr. ALEXANDER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to 

provide for the display of the Ten Commandments in 

the chamber of the House of Representatives if the Supreme Court of the United States rules against religious 

freedom by holding that the display of the Ten Commandments in public places by State and local governments constitutes a violation of the establishment clause 

of the first amendment to the Constitution of the United 

States. 
2 

•HRES 214 IH 

Whereas the chamber of the House of Representatives is 

framed by ‘‘In God We Trust’’ etched in stone above the 

Speaker’s head and directly across from the Speaker is 

the figure of Moses engraved in stone, the only figure in 

the chamber looking directly at the Speaker and therefore 

looking at the motto of ‘‘In God We Trust’’; 

Whereas the Constitution of the United States expressly 

states, ‘‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, 

or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to 

petition the Government for a redress of grievances’’; 

Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes the Constitutional prohibition against establishing an official 

state religion; 

Whereas the House of Representatives respects the binding 

authority of the Constitution and recognizes that posting 

the Ten Commandments in the House Chamber is a constitutionally protected expression of our Nation’s heritage 

and the foundation of our laws; 

Whereas the display of the Ten Commandments by governments does not violate the establishment clause of the 

first amendment to the Constitution of the United States; 

Whereas the legislative branch is responsible for upholding 

the Constitution of the United States, including the right 

recognized by the first amendment to the free exercise of 

religion; and 

Whereas the Ten Commandments should therefore take their 

rightful place among the monuments and symbols in the 

chamber of the House of Representatives which recognize 

the contributors to our Nation: Now, therefore, be it 
3 

•HRES 214 IH 

1 Resolved, That if the Supreme Court of the United 

2 States holds in either the case of Van Orden v. Perry, 03– 

3 1500 (TX) or the case of McCreary County v. ACLU, 03– 

4 1693 (KY) that the display of the Ten Commandments 

5 in public places by State and local governments constitutes 

6 a violation of the establishment clause of the first amend7 ment to the Constitution of the United States, thereby rul8 ing against religious freedom and diminishing the impor9 tance of the Ten Commandments to the United States, 

10 the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall provide 

11 for the display of the Ten Commandments in the chamber 

12 of the House of Representatives. 

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