Trent Lott: “the Senate, the American people, and the House of Representatives have all expressed their outrage at the decision by…”

“the Senate, the American people, and the House of Representatives have all expressed their outrage at the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday which ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because it contains the phrase ``under God.'' People are understandably stunned and find it not only unbelievable, but indefensible. Senators and the American people are shocked that two Federal circuit judges were capable of making such an absurd decision. The fact that they did points up, once again, how vitally important these Federal judicial appointments are in guiding not only the country's present, but its future as well. Judges are important at every level, but particularly at the appellate court, the circuit court level. This preposterous decision about the Pledge of Allegiance, which Senators have been outraged about, was handed down by three circuit court judges who voted 2-1 that reciting the Pledge violated the Constitution's Establishment Clause protections. I should note that the vigorous dissent in the case was filed by Judge Ferdinand Fernandez, who was appointed by the first President Bush, and who went into great detail since echoed by many members of this chamber--as to why the other two judges views and reading of the law are both unfounded and inappropriate.”