{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/faith-month", "FAITH MONTH", "2023-04-19", "2023", "2023-04", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "FAITH MONTH\n\nCongressional Record Vol. 169, No. 65\n\n(Senate - April 19, 2023) PDF\n\nMrs. HYDE-SMITH. Madam President, Americans across the country, led\n\nby Concerned Women for America, the Nation's largest public policy\n\norganization for women, and other faith-based organizations continue to\n\ncelebrate April as Faith Month. I commend this noble effort calling all\n\npeople of faith to join in prayer, thanksgiving, and celebration of\n\ntheir faith.\n\nThe United States of America was born of the unanimous Declaration\n\nthat we are ``endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable\n\nRights,'' based on ``the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God,''\n\n``appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world,'' and acknowledging our\n\n``reliance on the protection of divine Providence.'' We are a people of\n\nfaith, which is why religious freedom is known as America's first\n\nfreedom, as laid out in the Establishment and the Free Exercise Clauses\n\nof the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The freedom of speech\n\nis guaranteed by the First Amendment and also supports America's unique\n\nfocus on freedom of expression, including in matters of faith.\n\nAmerica's Judeo-Christian founding promotes religious diversity and\n\ntolerance. Our motto, ``In God We Trust,'' further emphasizes the\n\nimportance of faith in our Nation's founding. From our first President\n\nto the last, we have always acknowledged America's faith. President\n\nGeorge Washington recognized ``it is the duty of all Nations to\n\nacknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be\n\ngrateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and\n\nfavor.''\n\nPreserving our religious freedom, which strengthens our country's\n\nappreciation of all peoples, regardless of faith, requires eternal\n\ndiligence. Sadly, attacks on religious liberty and people of faith are\n\ngrowing, with some religious charities forced to betray the tenets of\n\ntheir faith in order to participate in certain government programs. We\n\nmust actively reject all efforts to criminalize or cancel religious\n\nbeliefs as somehow incompatible with our democracy.\n\nReligious organizations in America have a rich history of charitable\n\nengagement by helping the sick, poor, and afflicted. Their presence in\n\nmy State of Mississippi following devastating and fatal tornadoes in\n\nMarch has been a blessing to those trying to rebuild their lives. Their\n\nservice demonstrates why these organizations should be celebrated, not\n\nmaligned, for their contributions to improve life. According to the Pew\n\nResearch Center, more than 75 percent of Americans practice some type\n\nof religious faith. This rich, diverse religious heritage is to our\n\ncredit and should be encouraged.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:44:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/faith-month"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8158229067921638, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}