No White House Ceremony to Be Held on Nat’l Day of Prayer This Thursday, for the first time in nine years, there won’t be a White House ceremony in observance of the National Day of Prayer.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says President Barack Obama will pray privately as he does every day, but his only public acknowledgement will be to issue a White House proclamation. Republican Congressman Randy Forbes, co-chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, says a proclamation urging Americans to pray would be more meaningful if the president set a public example.
Forbes calls it a missed opportunity, but says, “Hopefully we’ll have millions of people around the country that will make up for the void we see at the White House on the National Day of Prayer.”
On the same day as Gibbs’ remarks, the District of Columbia Council gave final approval to legislation that recognizes same-sex “marriages” performed in states where they are legal. Congress has final say over the city’s laws and will get 30 days to review the bill.
If Congress takes no action, the bill would become law automatically.