,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #gae  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #bd1 #bjbj,mr4 ,braun 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4  
,scott of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,mr4   
,lankford1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,young1  
,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 ,mrs4        
,capito1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mrs4        
,loeffler1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,risch1  
,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina1 ,mr4   
,rounds1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1  
,ms4 ,ernst1 ,mr4 ,perdue1 ,mr4         
,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,inhofe1 ,mrs4 ,fischer1
 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 and ,mr4 ,cotton7        
submitted the following resolution2     
which was considered and agreed to      
,,resolution  ,expressing support for   
the ,pledge of ,allegiance4  ,whereas   
the ,united ,states was founded on      
principles of religious freedom by the  
,founders1 many of whom were deeply     
religious2 ,whereas the ,first          
,amendment to the ,constitution of the  
,united ,states embodies principles     

intended to guarantee freedom of        
religion both through the free exercise 
thereof and by prohibiting the          
,government from establishing a         
religion2 ,whereas the ,pledge of       
,allegiance was written by ,francis     
,bellamy1 a ,baptist ,minister1 and     
first published in the ,september #h1   
#ahib1 issue of the ,youth's ,companion2
 ,whereas1 in #aied1 ,congress added the
 words under ,god to the ,pledge of     
,allegiance2 ,whereas1 for over #fj     
years1 the ,pledge of ,allegiance has   
included references to the ,united      
,states flag1 to the country having been
 established as a union under ,god1 and 
to the country being dedicated to       
securing liberty and justice for all2   
,whereas1 in #aied1 ,congress believed  
it was acting constitutionally when it  
revised the ,pledge of ,allegiance2     
,whereas the ,senate of the #aafth      
,congress believes that the ,pledge of  
,allegiance is a constitutional         
expression of patriotism2 ,whereas      

patriotic songs1 engravings on ,united  
,states legal tender1 and engravings on 
,federal buildings also contain general 
references to ,god2 ,whereas the        
,supreme ,court overturned ,newdow v4   
,united ,states ,congress1 #cbh ,f4#c;d 
#dff 7#ith ,cir4 #bjjc71 a case in which
 the ,united ,states ,court of ,appeals 
for the ,ninth ,circuit held that the   
recitation of the ,pledge of ,allegiance
 by a student's public school teacher   
violated the ,establishment ,clause of  
the ,first ,amendment to the            
,constitution of the ,united ,states2   
and ,whereas the ,united ,states ,court 
of ,appeals for the ,ninth ,circuit     
later concluded that its previous       
opinion in ,newdow was no longer binding
 precedent1 that case law from the      
,supreme ,court of the ,united ,states  
concerning the ,establishment ,clause of
 the ,first ,amendment to the           
,constitution of the ,united ,states had
 subsequently changed1 and that         
,congress1 when passing the new version 

of the ,pledge of ,allegiance1          
established a secular purpose for the   
use of the terms under ,god and1 thus1  
the ,united ,states ,court of ,appeals  
for the ,ninth ,circuit upheld the      
recitation of the ,pledge of ,allegiance
 by public school teachers3 ,now1       
therefore1 be it ,that-- 7#a7 the       
,pledge of ,allegiance has been a       
valuable part of life for the people of 
the ,united ,states for generations2 and
  7#b7 the ,senate strongly defends the 
constitutionality of the ,pledge of     
,allegiance4