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. ALEX-
ANDER) 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 Su-
preme Court of the United States rules against religious 
freedom by holding that the display of the Ten Com-
mandments in public places by State and local govern-
ments constitutes a violation of the establishment clause 
of the first amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States.
•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 estab-
lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there-
of; 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 Con-
stitutional 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 con-
stitutionally protected expression of our Nation’s heritage 
and the foundation of our laws; 
Whereas the display of the Ten Commandments by govern-
ments 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
•HRES 214 IH 
Resolved, That if the Supreme Court of the United 
States holds in either the case of Van Orden v. Perry, 03– 
1500 (TX) or the case of McCreary County v. ACLU, 03– 
1693 (KY) 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 amend-
ment to the Constitution of the United States, thereby rul-
ing against religious freedom and diminishing the impor-
tance of the Ten Commandments to the United States, 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall provide 
for the display of the Ten Commandments in the chamber 
of the House of Representatives. 
Æ