A St. Louis Congressman gets his wish as the U.S. House of Representatives votes 247-to-173 to strip federal courts of the right to hear cases involving the Pledge of Allegiance. Congressman Todd Akin of Town and Country pushed for the legislation after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the phrase “under God” put the pledge at odds with the First Amendment’s establishment clause. The Supreme Court overruled the appellate decision, but only on a technicality. Akin calls his “Pledge Protection Act” an essential step to stopping the overreach of activist judges. Critics see the move as politically motivated. They contend it would damage the nation’s legal system, squelching minority views.
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