Hawley Pushes Nationwide ‘In God We Trust’ Displays To Restore Faith In Government

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced new legislation Tuesday that would require every federal building in the United States to prominently display the national motto, “In God We Trust,” within the next year — a move aimed at reaffirming the country’s religious foundations ahead of America’s 250th birthday.

The bill, dubbed the In God We Trust Act, directs the U.S. General Services Administration to ensure the motto is inscribed or exhibited in all federal facilities across the nation.

“Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln,” Hawley said in a statement. “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.”

“As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government,” he added.

Coincides With Trump’s “America Prays” Push

Hawley’s legislation comes just days after President Donald Trump launched his own non-binding America Prays initiative, which encourages Americans to join with others in prayer each week to help restore moral clarity and national unity.

“President Trump has revived one of America’s most prominent and powerful founding principles — we are one nation under God,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers.

“As we approach the 250th anniversary of the greatest country in the world, President Trump invites Americans to pray for our nation and for our people. America is stronger with the power of prayer.”

While Trump’s initiative doesn’t carry legal weight, Hawley’s bill does — and if passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president, it would codify public religious expression in every government institution.

Clash Over America’s Christian Roots

The renewed emphasis on faith in government sparked fierce debate in Washington last week when Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) mocked the concept that rights come from God rather than the state.

“The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator — that’s what the Iranian government believes,” Kaine said, suggesting the idea was troubling.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) quickly fired back.

“I almost fell out of my chair,” Cruz said. “That ‘radical and dangerous notion’ — in his words — is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created.”

Cruz quoted the Declaration of Independence directly, reminding Americans of its most famous line: “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”

“The casual condemnation of America’s founding principle is exactly what is wrong with today’s Democrat Party,” Cruz added. “Government protects our God-given rights, it does not create or destroy them.”

A Broader Faith-Based Revival

With Trump back in the White House and leading a renewed push to recognize faith as central to the American experiment, Hawley’s legislation represents one of several efforts to reestablish religious values in public life — especially after years of what many conservatives see as aggressive secularism and government hostility toward religious expression.

If passed, the In God We Trust Act would mark a significant symbolic step toward reaffirming that American rights come from a higher power — not the government.