Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday under the Constitution instead of the traditional Bible.
The newly elected congresswoman Arizona’s 9th Congressional District chose to be sworn in to the 113th Congress under the U.S. Constitution, said Justin Unga, Sinema’s communications director.
Sinema supports a secular form of government that protects both freedom of religion and freedom from religion, he stressed.
The act of swearing in under the Constitution is nothing new, Unga said. At least 12 other representatives chose to swear in and recite the Oath of Office under the Constitution instead of the Bible.
“I think there’s a personal choice that comes in with that swearing process,” he said. “It’s not an unusual thing.”
After the swear in, Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House Democratic Whip, appointed Sinema as the Assistant Whip for Congress, according to a press release from the Office of the Congresswoman.
“The 113th Congress was elected to be problem solvers,” Sinema said in the release. “Hard-working families can no longer afford to wait for a Congress that gridlocks on ideology.”
Reach the reporter at sraymund@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ShawnFVRaymundo
