Free Republic

Republican senator Jeff Sessions will be releasing this statement responding to the Senate blocking a vote on Homeland Security funding: “House and Senate Republicans are standing together in defense of our laws, our borders, and our constituents. But Senate Democrats, following their party leaders, blocked debate on this bill—a bill which fully funds every lawful activity of DHS. What the bill does not fund are actions that violate the law. Senate Democrats are voting to protect an imperial overreach and to deny citizens control over their own government. They are advancing an open-borders agenda against the will of the American...

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As a host of the daytime talk show "The View," Barbara Walters questioned why politicians, including the presidents, swear on a Bible while taking office when there is separation of church and state. "That is very true, but it starts almost with the oath of office which usually ends with 'So help me God,'" Walters said during the talk show, after actress Jane Seymour's remarks over a new political ad by Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas in which he apologizes for backing President Barack Obama's signature health care law, or "Obamacare," and also highlights the importance of the Bible...

There has been a wave of attacks against religious freedom inside the United States Military. There was the Air Force officer who was forced to remove a Bible from his desk because it might offend someone. There is the military chaplain who was instructed to resign his commission if he refused to “get on board” with the abolition of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. There’s the 20-year-old ethics course that was eliminated in July 2011 because it referenced scripture. And there is the painting containing a verse from scripture that was removed from the Mountain Home Air Force...

The debate over the U.S. Air Force Academy's recent removal of the words "So help me God" from oaths and making the phrase instead optional for cadets has intensified as a chaplains religious liberty group is calling for the military branch to explain why the action was taken, and activists have stepped up their campaign against expressions of Christian faith within the academy located in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty said in a statement received by The Christian Post on Tuesday that it is receiving calls from concerned parents of Air Force Academy cadets about the...

The U.S. Air Force Academy may drop a religious reference from an oath cadets take to swear allegiance to the school's honor code. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has protested the "so help me God" phrase that was added to the end of an oath that has cadets swearing they won't lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the religious freedom foundation says tying the honor code to a religious test violates the U.S. Constitution. The full oath reads: I, (name), having been appointed an Air Force cadet in the United States Air...

**SNIP** “The U.S. Air Force Academy has removed the words ‘So help me God’ from some written materials, including the oath administered to USAF inductees based upon the objections of a single atheist,” says Tom Fitton, director of Judicial Watch. **SNIP** “Unilaterally removing ‘so help me God’ from Air Force Academy materials is at odds with our nation’s history, the rule of law, and the fundamental values of the American people,” Mr. Fitton observes. “We want to get to the bottom of this controversy and it is a shame we had to go to court to try to get past...

Editor's Note: This column was coauthored by Bob Morrison. President Obama's choice to be Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) was approved by the Senate on a vote of 63-34, with thirteen Republicans voting to confirm him. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) created quite a stir with his 13-hour filibuster against the Brennan nomination. Not until he received written assurances from Attorney General Eric Holder that U.S. citizens would not be targeted for killing by drones on U.S. soil would the doughty Kentuckian stand down. Good for him. John Brennan then proceeded to take the Oath of Office, as administered by Vice...

Every Member of Congress and commissioned officer (civilian and military) in federal service as well as every enlisted service member takes an oath that requires they promise to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic …" This oath is required by statute. The Presidential oath, the only oath in the Constitution, does not contain that language:

Image that accompanied Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's audiotape announcing the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. The flag was originally al Qaeda in Iraq's banner, but has been adopted by other al Qaeda affiliated and associated groups. Image from the SITE Intelligence Group. The emir of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), Abu Bakr al Baghdadi (also known as Abu Dua), has announced a new brand for his organization's efforts: the "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant." The new name replaces all previous brands used by al Qaeda's affiliates in Iraq and Syria, including the...

We all know what jackbooted thugs TSA agents can be. Between the gropings and stopping the insidious smuggling of toothpaste, peanut butter and more than 3 oz. of just about any liquid, it’s a wonder that they have time for anything else.Every year, the TSA confiscates hundreds of thousands of items. Last year alone, over 880,000 items were confiscated or recovered after being left behind. Some of these items are dangerous, some are illegal, and some are just plain weird.confiscated by the TSA.

Vice President Joe Biden swears in CIA Director John Brennan at the White House, March 8, 2013. This is probably not the symbolism the White House wanted. Hours after CIA Director John Brennan took the oath of office—behind closed doors, far away from the press, perhaps befitting his status as America's top spy—the White House took pains to emphasize the symbolism of the ceremony.

Oh, dear. This is probably not the symbolism the White House wanted. Hours after CIA Director John Brennan took the oath of office—behind closed doors, far away from the press, perhaps befitting his status as America's top spy—the White House took pains to emphasize the symbolism of the ceremony. “There's one piece of this that I wanted to note for you,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at their daily briefing. “Director Brennan was sworn in with his hand on an original draft of the Constitution that had George Washington's personal handwriting and annotations on it, dating from 1787.” Earnest said...

PHOENIX -- Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would give Arizona high school seniors the option to recite a loyalty oath before they graduate. Originally, House Bill 2467 would have made the oath a prerequisite for graduation from any public high school in the state. The Arizona Capitol Times reported the change Tuesday. "To me it's not a Republican bill, it's not a Democrat bill, it's an American bill," said Rep. Steve Smith of Maricopa, one of the bill's sponsors. "People feel that our high school kids that will be adults should understand their role as an American citizen."

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Sheriff Scott Berry, of Oconee County, Georgia, may or may not be affiliated with the Oath Keepers (active duty and retired military and law enforcement personnel who have taken an oath to disobey unconstitutional orders, with orders to disarm the American people listed first). Whether officially a member of Oath Keepers or not, a recent decision of his makes it clear that he embodies the same noble principles that drive that group. Sheriff Berry, upon discovering that a local supplier of firearms and law enforcement gear would no longer sell semi-automatic rifles to non-law enforcement personnel, announced that his department...

This is a guest post by my confidential White House informant, The Extraordinarily Honorable I.M. Totus, Teleprompter of the United States. Although not writing in his official capacity, he is uniquely familiar with happenings at the White House. As his article also shows, he is a great constitutional scholar second only to President Obama. It will be an historically different first. President Obama will make us all even more proud of him! The Oath of OfficeTraditionally, presidents have taken this oath of office prescribed by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I...

The White House Correspondents Association is strongly urging the Obama administration to allow press access to the president’s official swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, following indications from inauguration committee officials that the event could potentially be closed to the press. “Mindful of the historic nature of this occasion, we expect the White House will continue the long tradition of opening the President’s official swearing-in to full press access, and we as an organization are looking forward to working with the administration to make that happen,” Ed Henry, the Fox News correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents Association, said...

This is a personal declaration, which I wish to make in front of Free Republic, and anyone who comes across it. As a whole, the ACA (aka ObamaCare) is bad law; in that through it the government is over stepping its bounds and is becoming more overly intrusive in the daily lives of Americans. The mandate, now tax, is especially onerous, because it penalizes American citizens for non activity. With the Supreme Court ruling on June 28th, 2012, the government now has precedent to try and force Americans, who are literally doing nothing into activity, through the threat of a...

If the dust up at the GOP meeting in Arizona is any indication, if one isn’t ready to pledge 100% loyalty to Mitt Romney, he’s not interested in seeing or hearing from you. It’s long been worried that Mitt would blow off the base of the party if elected, incidents like this do nothing to set these fears aside. Mitt Romney held a meeting in Scottsdale with top Republicans, hoping to convince the undecideds to throw their support behind him, as …. let’s face it …. his nomination is all but a fait accompli. Mitt offered attendees a chance to...