Congressional Hope for Uniform Recognition of Christian Heritage (CHURCH) Act of 2012

Congressional Hope for Uniform Recognition of Christian Heritage (CHURCH) Act of 2012 - Requires the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) to enter into an agreement with a private entity for the design and fabrication of a historical plaque to be permanently displayed in National Statuary Hall recognizing the seven decades of Christian church services being held in the Capitol from 1800 to 1868.

Authorizes the AOC to use National Statuary Hall for a presentation ceremony for the plaque.

Requires the AOC upon receiving such plaque to display it permanently in a place of prominence in National Statuary Hall.

Requires that any obligations or expenditures by the AOC to carry out this Act be derived from pre-existing funds available to the AOC as of the date of enactment of this Act.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4182 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4182

     To direct the Architect of the Capitol to acquire and place a 
historical plaque to be permanently displayed in National Statuary Hall 
 recognizing the seven decades of Christian church services being held 
   in the Capitol from 1800 to 1868, which included attendees James 
                     Madison and Thomas Jefferson.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 8, 2012

   Mr. Gohmert (for himself, Mr. Barton of Texas, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. 
  Pitts, Mrs. Bachmann, Mrs. Schmidt, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Woodall, Mr. 
Chabot, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Culberson, Mr. Scalise, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, 
  Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. 
  Harris, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Huelskamp, Mr. Nunnelee, Mr. Flores, Mr. 
Brady of Texas, Mr. Ribble, Mrs. Lummis, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Neugebauer, 
and Mr. Cole) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Architect of the Capitol to acquire and place a 
historical plaque to be permanently displayed in National Statuary Hall 
 recognizing the seven decades of Christian church services being held 
   in the Capitol from 1800 to 1868, which included attendees James 
                     Madison and Thomas Jefferson.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional Hope for Uniform 
Recognition of Christian Heritage (CHURCH) Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND DISPLAY OF HISTORICAL PLAQUE RECOGNIZING THE 
              SEVEN DECADES OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH SERVICES BEING HELD IN 
              THE CAPITOL.

    (a) Acquisition.--The Architect of the Capitol shall enter into an 
agreement with a private entity for the design and fabrication of a 
historical plaque to be permanently displayed in National Statuary Hall 
recognizing the seven decades of Christian church services being held 
in the Capitol from 1800 to 1868.
    (b) Design.--The plaque designed and fabricated pursuant to the 
agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall be of such size and 
design as may be provided under the terms of the agreement, except that 
the plaque shall contain the following statement:
            ``The first Christian church services in the Capitol were 
        held when the Government moved to Washington in the fall of 
        1800. They were conducted in the Hall of the House in the north 
        wing of the building. In 1801, the House moved the church 
        services to temporary quarters in the south wing, called the 
        `Oven', which it vacated in 1804, returning services to the 
        north wing for 3 years. During church services, the Speaker's 
        podium was used as the preacher's pulpit.
            ``Within a year of his inauguration, President Thomas 
        Jefferson began attending church services in the Chamber of the 
        House of Representatives. Throughout his administration (1801-
        1809), Thomas Jefferson permitted and encouraged church 
        services in executive branch buildings. Sermons regarding the 
        Old and New Testaments of the Bible were even conducted in the 
        Supreme Court chambers while the judicial branch was located in 
        the old north wing of the Capitol.
            ``The term `separation of church and state', not found in 
        the Constitution, was rather first used by Thomas Jefferson in 
        a letter to the Danbury Baptists. Though Jefferson saw no 
        problem with having nondenominational Christian services in 
        government buildings, he affirmed that the Government should 
        not choose an official Christian denomination. The worship 
        services in the Government-owned House Chamber--a practice that 
        continued until after the Civil War--were acceptable to 
        Jefferson because they were nondiscriminatory and voluntary.
            ``President James Madison, the recognized author of the 
        Constitution, followed Jefferson's example. In keeping with 
        Madison's understanding of the first amendment, church services 
        were permitted in the halls of State on Sundays during his 
        administration (1809-1817). However, unlike Jefferson, who rode 
        on horseback to attend church in the Capitol, Madison traveled 
        in a coach pulled by four horses. The services were interrupted 
        in 1814 after the interior was burned by the British and had to 
        be repaired.
            ``Preachers of every Christian denomination preached 
        Christian doctrine in this Chamber. On January 8, 1826, Bishop 
        John England (1786-1842) of Charleston, South Carolina, became 
        the first Catholic clergyman to preach in the House of 
        Representatives. The first woman to preach before the House, 
        and likely the first woman to speak officially in Congress 
        under any circumstances, was the English evangelist, Dorothy 
        Ripley (1767-1832), who conducted a service on January 12, 
        1806.''.
    (c) Presentation Ceremony.--The Architect of the Capitol is 
authorized to use National Statuary Hall for a presentation ceremony 
for the plaque on a date determined by the Architect. The Architect of 
the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board shall take such action as may 
be necessary with respect to physical preparations and security for the 
ceremony.
    (d) Display.--Upon receiving the plaque designed and fabricated 
pursuant to the agreement entered into under this section, the 
Architect of the Capitol shall display the plaque permanently in a 
place of prominence in National Statuary Hall.

SEC. 3. USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.

    Any amounts obligated or expended by the Architect of the Capitol 
to carry out this Act shall be derived from funds available to the 
Architect as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
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