Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., announced Tuesday that he is introducing legislation to require the display of America’s national motto, “In God We Trust,” in federal buildings across the United States, as reported by Fox News.
The measure, titled the In God We Trust Act, would direct the U.S. General Services Administration to ensure that all federal buildings inscribe or display the motto within one year of the bill’s passage.
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“Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln. Congress adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto in 1956 during the rise of atheist communism, and it remains our national motto today,” Hawley said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The ‘In God We Trust Act’ will ensure that the federal government—as well as the American people for whom it works—never forgets the ultimate source of the liberty and prosperity this country enjoys. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government.”
The push follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of his new “America Prays” initiative. That program encourages Americans to dedicate time weekly to pray for the country, suggesting that people gather in groups of at least ten.
While Trump’s initiative carries no legislative requirement, it is intended to promote faith as central to the nation’s foundation and future.
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“President Trump has revived one of America’s most prominent and powerful founding principles — we are one nation under God,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.
“As we approach the 250th anniversary of the greatest country in the world, President Trump invites Americans to pray for our nation and for our people. America is stronger with the power of prayer.”
The role of faith in America’s founding principles was also debated in Congress last week during an exchange between Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Kaine, while questioning a federal nominee, argued:
“The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator — that’s what the Iranian government believes. The statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.”
Cruz responded that Kaine’s remarks ignored the foundation of the nation itself. “I almost fell out of my chair because that ‘radical and dangerous notion’ — in his words — is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created,” Cruz said.
He then cited Thomas Jefferson’s words from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Cruz later posted a video of Kaine’s comments with his own reaction, writing, “The casual condemnation of America’s founding principle is exactly what is wrong with today’s Democrat Party. Government protects our God-given rights; it does not create or destroy them.”
The debate, paired with Hawley’s legislation and Trump’s initiative, signals a renewed focus on affirming America’s founding values as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
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