Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the sermon given by the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde at the National Prayer Service on January 21st, 2025, at the National Cathedral was a display of political activism and condemning its distorted message.
This bill is a non-binding resolution in the House (a “sense of the House” statement). Introduced in January 2025, H. Res. 59 expresses the House’s view that the sermon delivered by the Right Reverend Mariann Edward Budde at the National Prayer Service on January 21, 2025, was a display of political activism and condemns the sermon’s message as distorted. The resolution frames the National Prayer Service as a longstanding national tradition and notes the participation of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. It does not propose new laws or funding; instead, it formally expresses congressional opinion about the appropriateness and content of that specific sermon. The measure was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for consideration.
Key Points
- 1It is a non-binding “sense of the House” resolution, not a statute or appropriations bill.
- 2The resolution targets the January 21, 2025, National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral and the sermon delivered by Bishop Mariann Budde.
- 3ItCharacterizes the sermon as “a display of political activism” and condemns its message as distorted.
- 4It references the National Prayer Service’s traditional role of prayer for the nation and its leaders, noting the participation of President Trump and Vice President Vance.
- 5The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; sponsors are listed but the sponsor in the header is marked as Unknown.