The American Legion Calls on Lame Duck Senate to Pass “Religious Expression” Bill

Posted on November 22, 2006

The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization today called for a full mobilization of America’s veterans, indeed, all Americans to contact their U.S. senators to pass the Veterans’ Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006, S. 3696 before the 109th Congress adjourns.

“Pundits may call their return on Nov. 13 a lame-duck session but senators are there to do the business of the people and we expect them to pass this important piece of legislation in this Congress,” said Paul A. Morin, national commander of the 2.7 million-member American Legion. “Today I am asking every member of The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of The American Legion, indeed all Americans to contact their senators, mobilize their communities to do the same, and activate all Americans who care deeply about preserving the religious heritage given to us by our Founding Fathers.”

Together, members of The American Legion family number nearly 4 million, not counting their family members of voting age.

The House passed a measure similar to S. 3696 before Congress adjourned for the election break. Passage of the Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., would prevent organizations such as the ACLU from making enormous profits by filing lawsuits under the Establishment Clause attacking the Boy Scouts, public displays of the Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, and other symbols of American religious history and heritage, including religious symbols at veterans memorials. Such cases frequently lead to exorbitant legal fees ultimately covered by taxpayers.

Opponents of S. 3696 have released statements suggesting the measure won’t go to a vote before the end of the 109th Congress. “Pundits in 1944 also wrote off The American Legion’s advocacy in getting the GI Bill of Rights passed,” Morin said. “Thanks to a massive last-minute effort by Legionnaires then, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 passed, and the rest is history. We can do that again to energize the U.S. Senate to pass this important legislation when lawmakers return to Washington on Nov. 13.”

The law would disallow judges to award taxpayer paid attorney fees, and thus the financial incentive, to organizations that file lawsuits against public displays of religious symbols at veterans memorials and other public locations.

Senators may be sent an e-mail or obtain a telephone contact number through The American Legion Legislative Action Center: http://capwiz.com/legion/home/.