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“In God We Trust”: In Congress We Stagnate

The House Republican leadership is determined to keep the  chamber’s schedule to important matters, freeing up congressmen to do more  important things, such as attend committee hearings and spend time in the  district. That is largely a good idea, as long as it doesn’t keep members from  spending time together and learning to work together.

What, then, possessed House leaders to allow the  following onto the  Tuesday schedule for bills to be considered “under  suspension” of the  rules?

“Reaffirming ‘In God We Trust‘ as the official motto of  the United  States and supporting and encouraging the public display of the   national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other  government  institutions,” the resolution says.

Seriously? Is there any practical importance of this  resolution? They  surely can’t force schools or even government institutions to  display  the motto. Schools in particular might be reluctant to do so, rightly   worried about offending students and their families who worship  different gods  or no God at all. Let them worship learning. Let them  trust in scholarship and  study.

But that isn’t the point of the resolution—and bills  considered  “under suspension” (meaning they didn’t got through the committee process and require a supermajority for passage) don’t tend to have  serious  policy implications. They are all about campaigning, often to  convince a voter  group—in this case, religious voters—that Congress is  on their side. And  they are also meant, at times, to convince voters  that the other party isn’t on  their side.

If Congress wants to earn the trust of voters, it might  try something  that requires a bit more heavy lifting—passing legislation  meant to  create jobs, for example, or coming to a compromise on legislation to   avert the automatic cuts in domestic and defense spending set to occur  if the  so-called “super committee” cannot find an alternative. “In God  We Trust”  might be a nice slogan on a coin. But when it comes to  healing the ailing  economy, the vaunted phrase is barely worth the dime  it’s engraved on.

By: Susan Milligan, U. S. News and World Report, November 1, 2011

November 1, 2011 - Posted by raemd95 | Economic Recovery, Economy, Elections | Congress, Conservatives, House Republicans, In God We Trust, Politics