Washington, USA - While the war, immigration and federal spending priorities defy solutions, conservative lawmakers claimed victory Thursday on one front: They've compelled the architect of the U.S. Capitol to reverse a ban on using the word "God" in the framed certificates that mark honorary American flags flown over the Capitol.
"Today, we won a great victory for American traditions, religious freedoms and freedom of expression," said Rep. Michael Turner, an Ohio Republican.
Turner and 160 fellow lawmakers demanded that the ban be lifted in a letter sent to Stephen T. Ayers, acting architect of the Capitol.
The protest started when "God" was left out of a certificate that Ohio teenager Andrew Larochelle received commemorating a flag flown in honor of his grandfather, Army veteran Marcel Larochelle.
"Removing 'God' out of that certificate was removing a major piece of what my dad stands for," said Paul Larochelle, Andrew's father.
Tens of thousands of Americans each year, through their congressional representatives, request that flags be flown over the Capitol to honor loved ones.
Guidelines for requesting the honor had said "political and/or religious expressions are not permitted on the flag certificate." As of Thursday, that restriction no longer applies.