Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) expressed anger and disbelief at the ruling by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional. The case challenging the pledge was filed by the same California man whose previous lawsuit challenging the pledge’s “under God” reference was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court last year after being upheld by the liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Judge Karlton’s hostility toward our nation’s traditional moral values is appalling,” remarked Congressman McHenry upon hearing of the ruling. “This judge is a prime example of the liberal cancer than is strangling our judicial system. At a time when we have two vacancies on the Supreme Court, it is imperative that the administration and Congress work to get competent judges on the bench who respect our heritage and beliefs as Americans.”

The judge also stated his intent to file restraining orders against three California school districts to prevent them from leading students in the recitation of the pledge. Congressman McHenry found this to be a particularly alarming aspect of Karlton’s decision, “It is a sad day when a student can be arrested for putting his right hand over his heart and pledging to love his country. These liberal activists disguised as ‘fair and impartial jurists’ are bent on nothing more than removing God from every sector of our public life.”

McHenry repeated his call for the Congress to hold federal judges accountable for their actions and rulings through limiting their jurisdictions and terms of office and stripping them of their ability to rule on issues as fundamental as the Pledge of Allegiance.