GOP lawmaker wants Capitol visitors to see 'God'
Proposed legislation would put 'In God We Trust' on display at visitor center
A Republican congresswoman wants to ensure the long-delayed Capitol Visitor Center reminds tourists of America's Christian heritage when it opens.
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) has introduced a bill that would place on permanent display the Pledge of Allegiance -- with its mention of "one nation under God" -- and the motto "In God We Trust." The bill also would prohibit the Architect of the Capitol from excluding exhibits and materials that contain "a religious reference or Judeo-Christian content."
The bill was introduced last week in the wake of a flap over the Capitol architect's refusal to include a reference to God on a certificate accompanying a flag flown over the Capitol. That decision was reversed as lawmakers seek to prevent future censorship of religious messages on flag certificates.
God already is referenced in wall inscriptions and paintings in the Capitol itself, and Musgrave is working to ensure the country's religious history is enshrined in the new complex.
"It’s been something that she feels is very important to honor the history of our country,” Musgrave spokesman Aaron Johnson told Roll Call. “These aren’t things that are offensive to people. It’s ingrained in our national heritage.”
Some see the move as an attempt to undermine another key part of America's heritage -- the separation of church and state.
“Visitors to the Capitol don’t all believe in God, and that’s what’s wrong with this motto. Some of us trust in God, but not all of us,” Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, told the Capitol Hill newspaper. “Everybody is supposed to be equal in this country. ... So, if you have the country endorsing religion, that means we aren’t equal.”
The Capitol Visitor Center was originally scheduled to open in 2005, but the debut of the three-level underground complex adjacent to the Capitol has been delayed several times and is now set for summer 2008.
Republicans howled this month when a 17-year-old Eagle Scout received a flag he requested be flown over the Capitol with a mention of God expunged from a message he requested on a certificate accompanying the flag. After the uproar, the acting Architect of the Capitol reversed a ban on religious expression that had been in place since 2003. Musgrave co-sponsored a measure that would require future architects to allow recognition of God on flag certificates.
“When she raised this issue with the Architect, I think she got a sense of how opposed he is to any expression of religion or religious heritage,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t settle well with her just with him coming up with a compromise solution.”
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