By Associated Press - Monday, March 25, 2019

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A freshman Republican state representative’s opening prayer in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is drawing complaints that it was inappropriately divisive.

Rep. Stephanie Borowicz began the day’s session on Monday with a Christian invocation that thanked Jesus for the honor and President Donald Trump for standing “behind Israel unequivocally.”

She made her remarks shortly before a Muslim Democrat from Philadelphia was sworn in after winning a special election.

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Democratic Leader Frank Dermody called Borowicz’s invocation “beneath the dignity of this House” and asked that a group be set up to review the procedure.

Borowicz represents a Clinton County district and insists she did nothing wrong.

Republican House Speaker Mike Turzai is currently appealing a federal judge’s decision that stopped his policy of preventing nonbelievers from giving the invocations.

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