Democrats seek to change their rules to formally authorize hijabs and kipples in the House

WASHINGTON – Newly appointed Democrats plan to let lawmakers wear religious headgear by creating an exception to a hat ban that has existed since 1837 – when there would have been little debate before promulgation A rule banning what one MP later described as "the truly harmless but seemingly indecent practice" of wearing a hat inside.

In recent years, the rule has not been applied to prevent members, staff or religious leaders from wearing the headdress on the floor, but the victory of Minnesota's elected representative, Ilhan Omar, a Muslim wearing a scarf, has highlighted its continued existence.

Democrats say they will add an exemption for religious headwear in their new package of rule changes for the upcoming congress, which will begin in January, so that the protection of religious expression is explicit. The language will also cover a person wearing a cap because of illness and hair loss.

"Democrats know that our strength lies in our diversity, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion," said Nancy Pelosi, minority leader in the House of Commons, in a statement to NBC News. . In history, the clarification of the old rule against headgear will further demonstrate the remarkable progress we have made as a nation. "

"This change will ultimately codify that no restrictions can be imposed on the ability of a member to do the work for which he was elected simply because of his faith," said the new chairman of the committee. House of Rules, Jim McGovern, D-Mass. the amendment with Omar and Pelosi. "The American people has just elected the most diverse Congress of history and our rules should embody it."

Omar applauded the plan.

"Nobody puts a scarf on my head except me, it's my choice: protect the First Amendment," she wrote on Twitter. "And this is not the last ban I'm going to work to lift."

In this month's mid-term elections, Omar and Rashida Tlaib, Michigan's Democrat, became the first two Muslim women to win seats in the House. Tlaib does not wear a headscarf.

Omar has been the subject of false statements regarding his opinions.

An article published earlier this month, which went viral on Facebook, contained a fake quote – "I think all white men should be chained as slaves because they will never submit to the same". Islam "- attributed to Omar and printed with his image.

Politifact called it "pants on fire" because it was entirely made up.

The diversity of religious practices is of course not new to Congress.

Just over half of the current Congress members identify as Protestant Christians, according to a Congressional Research Service report based on data compiled by Congressional Quarterly and the Pew Research Center.

Nearly one-third of them identified themselves as Catholics at the beginning of this congress, in January 2015. At the time, 30 Jewish members of the House and Senate were Buddhists, Muslims and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. for some of the other religions represented on Capitol Hill.

Sometimes religious and political imperatives conflicted for legislators.

Father Robert Drinan, a Democrat who represented a district of Massachusetts from 1971 to 1981, resigned from his seat after Pope John Paul II decreed that priests could not hold elective office. Drinan, who did not wear a hat on the floor of the house, never missed his Roman collar.

Pelosi later noticed that the pope's order had resulted in the election of the representative of the time. Barney Frank – who is gay and Jewish – will succeed Drinan.

None of the current Jewish members of the House wear kippas on the floor of the house or during their daily business activities.

But some assistants wear religious headdresses and Pope Francis wore his hat when he addressed a joint session of Congress in 2015. Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States Representative Carolyn Maloney, DN. Y. wore a full burqa – which covered his head, face and body – during a speech in the House.

The Speaker of the House is responsible for the application of the House dress code, which includes men's coats and ties. As Democrats will control the chamber in January, it would be up to their leader to choose to ban or allow religious headwear.

But by putting the exemption in the House rules, the Democrats could make it more difficult for future congresses to eliminate it, if that were desired.

A spokesman for Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who was elected to lead the GOP at the next Congress, did not immediately respond to NBC's request to comment on the proposal.