Lamar Smith: “I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes) both for yielding me time and for introducing this resolution. There…”

“I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes) both for yielding me time and for introducing this resolution. There are few things Congress could do that would be more important than passing this resolution. It reaffirms ``In God We Trust'' as the official motto of the United States. It provides Congress with the opportunity to renew its support of a principle that was venerated by the Founders of our country and by its Presidents on a bipartisan basis. In our Declaration of Independence, the Founders declared: ``We the Representatives of the United States of America appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World do with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.'' George Washington, as President of the Constitutional Convention, declared, ``Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; this event is in the hand of God!'' James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, declared while he was President ``a day of thanksgiving and of acknowledgements to Almighty God.'' Madison said in his declaration that ``no people ought to feel greater obligations to celebrate the goodness of the Great Disposer of Events and of the Destiny of Nations than the people of the United States.'' Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence wrote, ``God who gave us life gave us liberty.…”