In a 396-9 vote, the House of Representatives reaffirmed "In God We Trust" as the nation's motto on Wednesday. The resolution's Republican sponsor said it would clear up any confusion President Obama created by once referring mistakenly to "E Pluribus Unum" — a Latin phrase meaning "out of many, one" — as our motto. ("In God We Trust" replaced "E Pluribus Unum" in 1956.) Obama mocked Congress for frittering away its day on such a symbolic gesture instead of focusing on creating jobs. Wednesday's debate only took 35 minutes — was it really a waste of time?
Of course. Congress has bigger fish to fry: At a time when Americans are desperate for jobs, says Steve Benen at Washington Monthly, the House shouldn't be "investing time" in a resolution that changes nothing. Even rank-and-file GOP voters think it's time to pass "Democratic jobs proposals and modest tax increases on millionaires and billionaires." Boy, are House Republicans "out of touch."
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