"Amen and awomen": Congressman rocks boat with controversial prayer conclusion

Kaylin Moore - Junior, Copy Editor | News

Representative Emanuel Cleaver II closed a prayer in front of Congress with the phrase “amen and awomen” on Sunday, Jan. 3.

“I was honored to deliver the opening prayer for the 117th Congress,” said Cleaver via Twitter. “May God bless each and every Representative with the courage and wisdom to defend our democracy and the liberties we all hold so dearly.”

However, the Representative received backlash from Christian and conservative communities, who took to Twitter to mock the Missouri congressman’s words.

Notably, Donald Trump Jr. expressed his outrage at Cleaver’s gesture.

“The prayer to open the 117th Congress ended with ‘amen and a-woman.’ Amen means ‘So Be It’ in Latin. It isn’t a gendered word but that didn’t stop them from being insane,” Trump Jr. tweeted. “Is this what you voted for?”

Ben Shapiro, a prominent conservative commentator, chimed in on his podcast “The Ben Shapiro Show” on the following Monday.

“The prayer with which Congress opened is, I believe, the stupidest thing I have ever heard in all my life,” said Shapiro.

Many Americans believe that the prayer was a political statement to express Cleaver’s contempt at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s new push for gender-inclusive language in House legislature.

“[Cleaver’s] proud addition plainly sought to celebrate Speaker Nancy’s Pelosi’s new code of conduct.” writes the New York Post Editorial Board. “He illustrated how ham-handed that drive truly is -- to the point of self-satire.”

Cleaver himself later expressed that he was “deeply disappointed” that his words had sparked such controversy.

“I concluded with a lighthearted pun in recognition of the record number of women who will be representing the American people in Congress during this term,” said Cleaver, “as well as in recognition of the first female Chaplain of the House of Representatives whose service commenced this week.”

While Cleaver seems to have had no ill intentions, many Americans remain upset and divided over the situation.