Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced legislation Tuesday directing the federal government to display the national motto, “In God We Trust,” on every public building in the United States.
The measure, known as the In God We Trust Act, would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to ensure the motto is inscribed or prominently displayed within one year of enactment. Hawley framed the legislation as a reminder of America’s heritage, noting Congress first adopted the phrase in 1956 during the Cold War.
“Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln. Congress adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto in 1956 during the rise of atheist communism, and it remains our national motto today,” Hawley remarked in a statement. “The In God We Trust Act will ensure that the federal government — as well as the American people for whom it works — never forgets the ultimate source of the liberty and prosperity this country enjoys. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government.”
Senator Hawley previously offered this idea in his 2024 National Conservatism Conference speech, when he declared it was time to “take the trans flags down from our public buildings and inscribe instead, on every building owned or operated by the federal government, our national motto: In God We Trust.”
The bill’s introduction comes alongside President Donald Trump’s launch of the “America Prays” initiative, a nationwide effort encouraging Americans to gather weekly in prayer as part of the lead-up to the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026. During remarks Monday at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Trump declared that Americans will “never apologize for our faith” and announced forthcoming Department of Education guidance to safeguard prayer in schools. He also placed his family’s Bible, used in both of his presidential inaugurations, on public display at the museum.
White House officials said more than 70 faith organizations have joined the “America Prays” campaign. HUD Secretary Scott Turner led prayer at the event, where Trump emphasized that America “has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer.”
Hawley’s bill also arrives as debate intensifies in Washington over the nation’s founding principles. Last week, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) argued during a Senate hearing that it was “extremely troubling” to claim rights come from God rather than government. His comments drew pushback from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who quoted Thomas Jefferson’s assertion in the Declaration of Independence that all people are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Trump, addressing Kaine’s remarks on Monday, asserted the Virginia senator “should be ashamed of himself.”
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