Congressional Prayer Room

The Congressional Prayer Room near the rotunda in the United States Capitol is a place set aside for the use of members of Congress who seek a quiet place for meditation or prayer. The space is not open to tour groups or visitors to the Capitol. The prayer room was established by Concurrent Resolution number 60 for the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, passed in 1954, and officially opened in 1955. The Concurrent Resolution included the following text: "Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Architect of the Capitol is hereby authorized and directed to make available a room, with facilities for prayer and meditation, for the use of Members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The Architect shall maintain the Prayer Room for individual use rather than assemblies and he shall provide appropriate symbols of religious unity and freedom of worship." The official Congressional brochure describing the development of the Prayer Room credits a number of specific Congressional members with its establishment: "Representative Brooks Hays of Arkansas introduced House Concurrent Resolution 60, Eighty-third Congress, in the House February 12, 1953, directing the setting apart of a place for this purpose. Senator Monroney of Oklahoma introduced a companion resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 14, Eighty-third Congress, in the Senate, February 13, 1953. House Concurrent Resolution 60 was passed by the House, July 17, 1953, and by the Senate May 4, 1954. Following passage of this resolution by the House, Joseph W. Martin, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives, made available an appropriate room on the House Side of the Capitol near the Rotunda and shortly after passage of the resolution by the Senate, named a special committee to arrange for the design and equipment of the Prayer Room. This Committee consisted of Representatives LeCompte of Iowa and St. George of New York, with Representative Hays as Chairman.