IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 431 
Calling on the President to proclaim 2007 as the ‘‘National Year of the 
Bible’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2006 
Mrs. MUSGRAVE (for herself and Mr. RUSH) submitted the following concur-
rent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government Re-
form 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Calling on the President to proclaim 2007 as the ‘‘National 
Year of the Bible’’. 
Whereas 2007 is the 275th anniversary of the birth of 
George Washington, the father and first President of our 
great Nation and for whom the Bible was a primary in-
spiration for his life, as is manifested in the many direct 
Biblical references and Biblical allusions in his writings 
and speeches; 
Whereas 2007 is the 225th anniversary of the Aitken Bible, 
the first English Bible printed in America; 
Whereas 2007 is the 225th anniversary of the creation of the 
Great Seal of the United States, a ‘‘coat of arms’’ whose 
Biblical imagery was considered by the founders to rep-
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•HCON 431 IH 
resent the beliefs and values of an independent nation 
and a free people with grand aspirations for the future; 
Whereas 2007 is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of 
slavery in England, a cause which was largely driven by 
William Wilberforce who drew his inspiration from scrip-
ture and who played a major role in the creation of the 
first British Bible Society; 
Whereas 2007 is the 175th anniversary of the founding of 
the New England Anti-Slavery Society, similarly inspired 
by Biblical principles; 
Whereas the Bible has had a profound impact in shaping 
America into a great nation; 
Whereas many of our Presidents have recognized the impor-
tance of God and the Bible, including George Washington 
and Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan who declared 
1983 the ‘‘National Year of the Bible’’; 
Whereas the Bible has inspired Americans from all walks of 
life, especially the early settlers whose faith, spiritual 
courage, and moral strength enabled them to endure in-
tense hardships in this new land; 
Whereas shared Biblical beliefs unified the colonists and gave 
our Founding Fathers the wisdom to write the Declara-
tion of Independence and the Constitution of the United 
States, both of which recognized the inherent divine 
worth, dignity, and inalienable rights of each individual, 
thus unifying a diverse people with the right to vote and 
the freedoms of speech and religion; 
Whereas the Bible has been the world’s best-selling book 
since first published in English in 1526 and has influ-
enced more people than any other book; 
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•HCON 431 IH 
Whereas the Bible has been a cornerstone in the development 
of Western civilization, influencing the nations in the 
areas of history, legal and political systems, culture, 
music, literature, art, drama, and moral philosophy; 
Whereas the Bible was the primary inspiration for the work 
of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in advancing the 
civil rights movement in the United States, as evidenced 
by many biblical references in his speeches and writings; 
and 
Whereas the Bible, used as a moral compass, has inspired 
compassion, love for one’s neighbor, and the sanctity of 
life and marriage, and has stimulated many benevolent 
initiatives that have healed and strengthened our fami-
lies, communities and the entire nation: Now, therefore, 
be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), Thatthe Congress calls upon the President to 
issue a proclamation— 
(1) designating the ‘‘National Year of the 
Bible’’; 
(2) calling upon citizens of all faiths to redis-
cover and apply the priceless and timeless message 
of the Bible; and 
(3) encouraging the people of the United States 
to join the President and the Congress in observance 
of this year of national celebration of the Bible with 
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. 
Æ 
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