House Republicans are calling on Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, to resign after he declined to lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.
“In my opinion, he should resign. That is an embarrassment to veterans and to people who have come before us. That’s a disgrace what you saw this morning,” said Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, who serves as Republican House Caucus Chair.
Traditionally, every session of the Tennessee House usually begins with a gavel, prayer and pledge. Thursday morning started off no different. It was Rep. Justin Jones’s turn to pick a minister of the day to give the invocation.
“With that I would like to open the floor for prayer from Ms. Sally Wells, President of the Native American Indian Association,” said Rep. Jones on the House floor.
Wells is the first Native American to give the invocation in her own language. But then there was something else that has never happened before.
WTVF “Rep. Jones has declined to say the prayer, he asked for someone else for their assistance,” said Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, mistakenly saying prayer instead of pledge.