I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2389 

To amend title 28, United States Code, with respect to the jurisdiction 

of Federal courts over certain cases and controversies involving the 

Pledge of Allegiance. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2005 

Mr. AKIN (for himself, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. 

BAKER, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, 

Mr. BEAUPREZ, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. BISHOP of 

Georgia, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. BOEHNER, Mrs. BONO, Mr. 

BOOZMAN, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire, Mr. 

BRADY of Texas, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Ms. GINNY BROWNWAITE of Florida, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BUYER, 

Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CANTOR, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CARTER, Mr. CHABOT, 

Mr. CHOCOLA, Mr. COBLE, Mr. COLE of Oklahoma, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. 

CRENSHAW, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mrs. JO

ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. DELAY, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. MARIO

DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mrs. DRAKE, Mr. DUNCAN, 

Mr. EHLERS, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. FERGUSON, Mr. FORBES, Mr. FOSSELLA, Ms. FOXX, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, 

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. 

GINGREY, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GOODE, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. 

GUTKNECHT, Mr. HALL, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. HART, Mr. HASTINGS of 

Washington, Mr. HAYES, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. 

HERGER, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. HYDE, 

Mr. ISSA, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. 

JONES of North Carolina, Mr. KELLER, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. 

KING of Iowa, Mr. KLINE, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. 

LATOURETTE, Mr. LEACH, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 

MANZULLO, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. 

MCHUGH, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. MICA, Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California, 

Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. 

NEUGEBAUER, Mr. NEY, Mrs. NORTHUP, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. NUSSLE, 

Mr. OTTER, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. PENCE, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. 

PITTS, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. RENZI, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. ROGERS
2 

•HR 2389 IH 

of Michigan, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. RYUN of 

Kansas, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. 

SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. SODREL, Mr. SOUDER, 

Mr. STEARNS, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. 

THORNBERRY, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. UPTON, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. 

WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. 

WICKER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WOLF, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, and Mr. TIBERI) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 28, United States Code, with respect to 

the jurisdiction of Federal courts over certain cases and 

controversies involving the Pledge of Allegiance. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pledge Protection Act 

5 of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON JURISDICTION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 99 of title 28, United 

8 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘§ 1632. Limitation on jurisdiction 

11 ‘‘(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), no court 

12 created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and 

13 the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to 

14 hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpreta15 tion of, or the validity under the Constitution of, the 
3 

•HR 2389 IH 

1 Pledge of Allegiance, as defined in section 4 of title 4, 

2 or its recitation. 

3 ‘‘(b) The limitation in subsection (a) does not apply 

4 to— 

5 ‘‘(1) any court established by Congress under 

6 its power to make needful rules and regulations re7 specting the territory of the United States; or 

8 ‘‘(2) the Superior Court of the District of Co9 lumbia or the District of Columbia Court of Ap10 peals;’’. 

11 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

12 at the beginning of chapter 99 of title 28, United States 

13 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 

14 item: 

‘‘1632. Limitation on jurisdiction.’’. 

Æ