‘Amen and awoman’: Congressman receives backlash for opening prayer
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ABC4) – A Missouri congressman is receiving some criticism after closing out an opening prayer with “amen and a woman” over the weekend.
In the clip seen above, courtesy of C-SPAN, Representative Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Missouri) is seen giving the opening prayer on the opening day of the 117th Congress. He closes the prayer by saying “amen and awoman.”
Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter Monday morning to express his distaste of the closing, saying in part that amen “isn’t a gendered word.”
A Republican congressman from Florida, Rep. Matt Gaetz, retweeted Trump Jr.’s, saying “Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz may now only be referred to as “Wasserperson-Schultz.”
Rep. Cleaver took to Twitter on Sunday to say he “was honored to deliver the opening prayer for the 117th Congress,” but has yet to respond to the backlash of his prayer.
Some thought Rep. Cleaver never said “amen and a woman,” but instead, “a man and a woman.”
According to dictionary.com, the word “amen” is derived from Hebrew, meaning “certainty” or “certainly.” Today, its most common definition is “it is so” or “so be it.”
The online dictionary even voiced an opinion on the matter.
Rep. Cleaver is a United Methodist paster who was originally born in Texas. He has served as a representative since 2005.
