WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04), and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) filed an amicus brief defending the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. The brief argues that the Ten Commandments are part of the United States’s historical foundation, and contends that displaying the Commandments is consistent with longstanding national traditions and with the First Amendment. The brief further maintains that the government may acknowledge religion’s role in American life without establishing a state religion or coercing religious observance.

“I’m proud to stand with Senator Cruz in supporting Texas’ law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools across the Lone Star State. The Ten Commandments ensure students are reminded of the Judeo-Christian values that have shaped our state and nation,” said Sen. Cornyn.

“As the Supreme Court has repeatedly acknowledged, the Ten Commandments were foundational to Western legal tradition, including the common-law system that shaped American law, and this case is critical to reaffirming our commitment to the principles that have guided America since our founding. I was proud to represent Texas in successfully defending the Texas Ten Commandments Capitol monument in Van Orden v. Perry (2005). Public displays of the Ten Commandments reinforce the founding principles for current and future generations, and are crucial to shaping a shared civic culture. I hope the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will uphold the ruling,” said Sen. Cruz. 

“While some states have sought to erase American history and the motivations that have undergirded our Republic, others, like Louisiana and Texas, took bold action to ensure schoolchildren are taught the history and traditions of the United States. The Ten Commandments – adorned both inside and outside the U.S. Supreme Court – served as essential building blocks for Western Civilization and are deeply embedded in the history of this country. I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me in filing this amicus brief, and we hope the Court follows well-established precedent and affirms the importance of teaching the fundamental foundations of our country,” said Speaker Johnson.

“America was founded as a nation grounded in a distinctly Christian understanding, and the Ten Commandments are intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage. Christianity and the rule of law have been under attack by radical progressives who dare to upend Western civilization and steer America’s youth away from the morals that made our country great. Placing the Ten Commandments in every classroom in Texas affirms that we are a Judeo-Christian nation, upholding our historical and moral heritage and proclaiming the Ten Commandments as a guiding path for a righteous way of life,” said Rep. Roy.

Read the amicus brief text here.

Joining Sens. Cornyn, Cruz, Speaker Johnson, and Rep. Roy were Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Reps. Brian Babin (R-TX-36), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Sheri Biggs (R-SC-03), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-04), Josh Brecheen (R-OK-02), Eric Burlison (R-MO-07), Ben Cline (R-VA-06), Michael Cloud (R-TX-27), Andrew Clyde (R-GX-09), Eli Crane (R-AZ-02), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-02), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX-15), Byron Donalds (R-FL-19), Pat Fallon (R-TX-04), Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01), Brandon Gill (R-TX-26), Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23), Lance Gooden (R-TX-05), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Andy Harris (R-MD-01), Mark Harris (R-NC-08), and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01).

Background:

This Senate amicus brief is in support of Texas’s S.B. 10 in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, now before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

The Texas law directs public schools to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in each classroom—using the same text upheld by the Supreme Court in Van Orden v. Perry.