IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 411 
Commemorating the anniversary of, commending, and reaffirming the national 
motto of the United States on the 50th anniversary of its formal adoption. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2006 
Mr. DUNCAN (for himself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. GINGREY, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. 
ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. WAMP, Mr. GOODE, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. SES-
SIONS, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. HAYES, Mr. WELDON of Flor-
ida, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. 
HOSTETTLER, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. TERRY, Mr. RYUN of Kansas, Mr. 
WESTMORELAND, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. TIAHRT, 
Mr. KUHL of New York, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. JONES of 
North Carolina, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, 
Mr. FORD, Mr. HERGER, Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan, Ms. FOXX, Mr. 
POE, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. 
BUYER, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. CANNON, Mr. MCKEON, 
Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. JENKINS, and Mr. ALEXANDER) submitted 
the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the anniversary of, commending, and re-
affirming the national motto of the United States on 
the 50th anniversary of its formal adoption. 
Whereas on July 30, 1956, Public Law 84–140 was enacted, 
making ‘‘In God We Trust’’ the official motto of the 
United States; 
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Whereas that Act formally adopted what had been for nearly 
a century the Nation’s unofficial motto, which had ap-
peared on certain United States currency since the War 
Between the States; 
Whereas on July 30, 2006, the formal adoption of this motto 
will have its 50th anniversary; 
Whereas the historical fact of the fundamental trust of the 
American people upon the God of the Bible is irrefutable; 
Whereas this American trust in the Christian deity dates 
from the earliest colonial days, extends to American inde-
pendence, the establishment of this Republic, and 
throughout the Nation’s history; 
Whereas the initial adoption of ‘‘In God We Trust’’ as the 
Nation’s motto by Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase es-
sentially captured what had been the assumed central 
tenet of the American people and her leaders from the 
first colonial settlement and continuing throughout Amer-
ican history; 
Whereas Psalm 33:12 states, ‘‘Blessed is the nation whose 
God is the Lord.’’; 
Whereas Psalm 127:1 says, ‘‘Unless the Lord builds the 
house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches 
over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.’’; 
Whereas Proverbs 14:34 warns, ‘‘Righteousness exalts a na-
tion, but sin is a disgrace to any people.’’; 
Whereas the colonial charter of Virginia, issued in 1606 by 
King James I, commended ‘‘the Furtherance of so noble 
a Work, which may, by the Providence of Almighty God, 
hereafter tend to the Glory of his Divine Majesty, in 
propagating of Christian Religion to such People, as yet 
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live in Darkness and miserable Ignorance of the true 
Knowledge and Worship of God.’’; 
Whereas these Virginia settlers acknowledged the hand of 
God as central to the success of their endeavor; 
Whereas the Mayflower Compact of 1620, written and signed 
by the Pilgrims, established ‘‘for the glory of God, and 
advancement of the Christian faith’’ a ‘‘civil body poli-
tick’’ that rested on their firm reliance on God for its 
success; 
Whereas the founding fathers declared American independ-
ence from Great Britain by firmly planting their trust in 
God Almighty, culminating the Declaration of Independ-
ence with, ‘‘And for the support of this declaration, with 
a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we 
mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and 
our sacred honor.’’; 
Whereas that eminent founding statesman Benjamin Frank-
lin, speaking at the Constitutional Convention, declared, 
‘‘Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously 
answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle [for 
independence] must have observed frequent instances of 
a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind 
providence, we owe this happy opportunity of consulting 
in peace on the means of establishing our future national 
felicity. And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? 
Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I 
have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the 
more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God gov-
erns in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall 
to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an 
empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, 
Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build 
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the house, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly be-
lieve this; and I also believe that without His concurring 
aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better 
than the builders of Babel . . .’’; 
Whereas the ‘‘Father of our country,’’ George Washington— 
of whom it was said that he was ‘‘First in war, first in 
peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen’’—affirmed 
the faith and trust in God Almighty honed through pro-
found struggles, such as the snow and deprivations of 
Valley Forge, when in his first inaugural address in 
1789, as the first President of the United States, he pro-
claimed, ‘‘It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this 
first official act my fervent supplications to that Al-
mighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides 
in the council of nations, and whose providential aids can 
supply every human defect, that His benediction may 
consecrate to the liberties and the happiness of the people 
of the United States, a government instituted by them-
selves for these essential purposes, and may enable every 
instrument employed in its administration to execute with 
success the functions allotted to his charge.’’; 
Whereas the occasion of the half-century anniversary of the 
formal adoption of our national motto, ‘‘In God We 
Trust’’, presents an opportunity for the country to reaf-
firm the concept embodied in that motto: the proper role 
of civil government as under the authority and protection 
of the Lord, and its success fully dependent upon divine 
sovereignty; and 
Whereas furthermore, this occasion comes at a time when the 
motto and other public—particularly official—recogni-
tions that acknowledge the historical, right understanding 
of the appropriate place of civil society under the author-
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ity of the Almighty have come under intense attack: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress— 
(1) reaffirms the national motto, ‘‘In God We 
Trust’’, on its 50th anniversary; 
(2) acknowledges the 50th anniversary of the 
national motto, and encourages its celebration as a 
display of patriotism and love of God and country; 
(3) encourages the American people to devote 
time to reflect on the national motto and the long, 
integral part it has played in the life of the United 
States, during periods of its official and unofficial 
adoption; 
(4) encourages the American people to reflect 
upon the historical basis underlying the national 
motto; 
(5) commends the national motto as funda-
mental to America’s national life and as central to 
the hopes and vision of the Founders for the per-
petuity of this Republic, and affirms the substance 
of the national motto as no less vital to the future 
success of this Nation; and 
(6) encourages the American people to com-
memorate the national motto through personal acts 
of piety, patriotic and sacred assembly, prayer and 
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petition on behalf of the Nation’s elected and ap-
pointed leaders at the Federal, State, and local levels 
of government, and through a rededication of trust 
in God for the good and providential protection of 
this great Nation. 
Æ 
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