WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX/4) has been at the forefront of a growing number of House Members who are protesting a decision by the Acting Architect of the Capitol to prohibit the use of religious references on certificates for flags flown over the U.S. Capitol. 
 
Hall was among the first members who signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to use her authority to reverse that decision.  The letter to Speaker Pelosi urges her to instruct the Architect to restore the longstanding practices of the House, Hall said.

The Acting Architect recently informed several congressional offices that he would be enforcing a previously ignored policy that the use of the word God violates the Architects rules prohibiting religious references on flag certificates.  Subsequently, flag dedication requests have been returned with the word God omitted.

"The Architect's new enforcement is clearly misguided and needs to be immediately reversed," Hall said.  "Congress has a longstanding tradition of including references to God on flag certificates at the request of constituents and most Members had no knowledge that there was a policy to censor such requests.  This seems to be just another attempt to erode the values and traditions that most Americans hold dear."
 
"Our Nation was founded on the principle of one Nation under God, and there are references to God throughout the Capitol," Hall said.  "Our citizens certainly should have the right to acknowledge their faith in God on certificates that accompany flags flown over the Capitol."