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Week Ending December 16, 2005

H.RES.579 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected.

BRIEF

The Resolution aims to make it the policy of the House to recognize and support the importance and use of Christmas symbols and traditions and to disapprove of attempts to ban references to Christmas.

Opponents to the resolution argued that there is no particular movement underway to ban the use of symbols and traditions of Christmas other than the ones promoted by Bill O’Reilly on FOX News and that it is simply a matter of being polite to use other greeting when you are concerned that the person you are talking to may not be a Christian. There are more important issues for the House to address these days, they say.

Sponsor: Representative Jo Ann Davis (R-VA-1^st)

Vote: Passed House 401 to 22 with 4 voting 'Present' (RC 637) December 16, 2005

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost

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MORE INFORMATION

Whereas Christmas is a national holiday celebrated on December 25; and

Whereas the Framers intended that the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States would prohibit the establishment of religion, not prohibit any mention of religion or reference to God in civic dialog: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the importance of the symbols and traditions of Christmas;

(2) strongly disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas; and

(3) expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions.

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No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.