House to Vote on Beefing Up 'In God We Trust'

(Newser) – It's already stamped on our coins, but a group of lawmakers would like see our national motto get even greater play. The House will vote on a bill today that would strengthen the phrase "In God We Trust" and push schools and other government and public buildings to display the motto. The measure states that the phrase has been an "integral" part of the country; approving it would show that "In God We Trust" is "not only written in the halls of our federal buildings, but it is a bedrock upon which our nation is built," said bill sponsor Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) in March.

The measure has 64 co-sponsors, including a few Democrats, but Politico reports that not everyone is on board. In one committee report, five House Democrats complain that the legislation "creates unnecessary and excessive government entanglement with religion. … The passage of this resolution would, as Justice [Sandra Day] O’Connor warned, send a message to the American people that our government favors religion, and specifically one type of religion over another, in violation of the endorsement test." It will need a two-thirds vote to pass.