Date: 1994-03-21
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. this amendment would allow students and teachers in public schools across the Nation to voluntarily pray. My amendment is identical to the language offered February 23 by the gentleman from Tennessee . In fact. it is Mr. DUNCANs language which was overwhelmingly supported by the Members of this body by a margin of 367 to 55. As you will remember. the House voted to instruct conferees on Goals 2000 to accept a Senate amendment of the same language which I am offering now. The other body passed this same language by a steadfast 75to22 vote. Judging by these margins. this Congress supports protecting the constitutional right of children to pray. . Let me just tell you a couple of stories. One. which is out of St. Louis. where kids were in school and one of them. a 10yearold boy. was praying before eating his lunch on three separate occasions. Finally. he was disciplined with detention during recreation periods for 1 week. The boys mother was told that it was against the law to pray in school and that the decision to punish her son would not be overturned. That is not America. That is not what this country was built on. This country is one Nation under God. and prayer is part of our legal right. The Congress. this Congress. will not tolerate abridgement of this right. nor discrimination against those who would seek to exercise it. There is no better time than today on this bill for Congress to take action to protect the constitutional right to freely practice ones religion. When I was in school. participation in religious programs. the Pledge of Allegiance. pregame prayers. were every day occurrences. In fact. the Ten Commandments were posted on the walls. I I think even today right here in Washington. DC. we see that coming back when Marion Barry. who used to be the mayor and is currently a councilman. said. "With all the violence and other problems. we need to get back to trying to allow those Who want to pray to do it." Barry said. referring to shootings and beatings in the schools. "It may set a moral tone at the schools." That is out of the paper. You all read it. I think you realize. and so does the rest of the country. finally. realizing that it is time to get prayer back to school. When I took my oath of office. I pledged to uphold the Constitution just like every. Member of this body. and that is what we would do today by passing this amendment. The courts have affirmed that students in public schools do not: shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech or expression at the school gatehouse. That is from Wallace versus Jeffrey. The court concluded that there is no constitutional barrier to a State protecting every students right to engage in voluntary prayer. It does not require State education agencies or local education agencies to do anything except uphold our Constitution. An abiding belief in and a love of God were the building blocks of our Founding Fathers. That laid the foundation for this wonderful Nation. This Nations heritage is rooted in religious faith. I believe those same values have helped to maintain its strength. Over 200 years ago. George Washington affirmed this belief when he stated. "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity. religion and morality are indispensable supports." And I believe that the omission of voluntary prayer in school removes from children the very values on which this great Nation was founded. The right to voluntary prayer is vital to the future of our children and this Nation. I think We need to put this amendment on this bill just to uphold that right. By voting for this amendment today. you would be casting a vote to uphold the U.S. Constitution. you are fighting discrimination against voluntary prayer. but above all you are allowing our children. who are the future of our Nation. the freedom to pray.