House of Representatives Votes 396-9 to Reaffirm “In God We Trust” as the National Motto of the United States – 11/1/11

The House of Representatives has reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as the National Motto of the United States by a vote of 396-9. The vote was intended as a rebuke to President Obama for saying in a speech overseas that America’s motto is “E Pluribus Unum” (“Out of many, one”). Eight Democrats and one Republican voted against the resolution affirming “In God We Trust.”

HUMAN EVENTS: The House on Tuesday passed a measure reaffirming “In God We Trust” as the national motto of the U.S., in an effort to encourage its display in public buildings and send a message to those who seek to remove God from the public domain.

The resolution required a two-thirds vote to pass, and did so easily, 396 to 9. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan was the lone Republican voting no, joining eight other Democrats, Representatives Gary Ackerman and Jerrold Nadler of New York, Judy Chu, Mike Honda and Pete Stark of California, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Henry Johnson of Georgia and Robert Scott of Virginia.

Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R.-Va.), chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and sponsor of the measure, said the resolution serves to clear up confusion over a speech President Obama gave last year in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which he stated that the motto was instead “E Pluribus Unum,” Latin for “Out of many, one.”

“For the President of the United States to incorrectly state something as foundational as our national motto in another country is unacceptable,” Forbes said. “The President is the primary representative of our nation to the world, and whether mistake or intention, his actions cast aside an integral part of American society.”

“We need to make clear to the people in this country that our motto is ‘In God We Trust,’ and encourage them to proudly display that motto,” Forbes said. . . .