49–008 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 109–577 

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2389, PLEDGE 

PROTECTION ACT OF 2005 

JULY 18, 2006.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. GINGREY, from the Committee on Rules, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H. Res. 920] 

The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House 

Resolution 920, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to the House 

with the recommendation that the resolution be adopted. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2389, the 

Pledge Protection Act of 2005, under a structured rule. The rule 

provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled 

by the Majority Leader and Minority Leader or their designees. 

The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. 

The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in this 

report. The rule provides that the amendments printed in this report may be offered only in the order printed in this report, may 

be offered only by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in this report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 

to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the 

Committee of the Whole. The rule waives all points of order against 

the amendments printed in this report. 

Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 

EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS

The Committee is not aware of any points of order against consideration of the bill or the amendments made in order under the 

rule. The waivers of all points of order against consideration of the 


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bill and against the amendments made in order under the rule are 

prophylactic in nature. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Pursuant to clause 3(b) of House rule XIII the results of each 

record vote on an , amendment or motion to report, together with 

the names of those voting for and against shall be printed in the 

committee report. No record votes were taken by the committee; 

however, the committee did adopt by voice vote an amendment offered by Mr. Hastings of Florida to reduce the amount of debate 

time on the amendment offered by Mr. Watt of North Carolina 

from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. 

SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

(Summaries derived from information provided by sponsors) 

1. Watt (NC): Preserves the authority of the United States Supreme Court to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, the Pledge 

of Allegiance, as defined in section 4 of title 4, or its recitation. (10 

minutes). 

2. Jackson-Lee (TX): Requires that Federal courts have jurisdiction when free exercise of religion is violated due to coerced or 

mandatory recitation of the Pledge. (10 minutes). 

3. Akin (MO): Adds language making it explicit that the Act is 

effective immediately and applies to all pending and future litigation. (10 minutes). 

TEXT OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

1. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE WATT OF

NORTH CAROLINA, OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Page 2, lines 12 and 13, strike ‘‘, and the Supreme Court shall 

have no appellate jurisdiction,’’. 

2. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE JACKSONLEE OF TEXAS, OR HER DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Page 3, line 2, insert after ‘‘recitation’’ the following: ‘‘, except in 

a case in which the claim involved alleges coerced or mandatory 

recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, including coercion in violation of the protection of the free exercise of religion’’. 

3. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE AKIN OF

MISSOURI, OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Add at the end the following: 

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

This Act and the amendments made by this Act take effect on 

the date of the enactment of this Act and apply to any case that— 

(1) is pending on such date of enactment; or 

(2) is commenced on or after such date of enactment. 

Æ 


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