House Speaker Mike Johnson said the phrase
“separation of church and state” has been widely misapplied, noting that it does not appear in the Constitution but comes from an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist group concerned about government interference in religion.
According to Johnson, the Founders’ intent was not to drive faith out of public life, but to prevent the government from controlling or establishing a national church while protecting citizens’ right to practice religion freely. He argued that moral and religious conviction were viewed by early American leaders as essential to preserving liberty, not something to be confined to private spaces.
Johnson described the present cultural moment as a “spiritual battle” and called on Americans to return to public prayer, saying the nation’s strength ultimately depends on acknowledging God rather than sidelining faith.
