Congresswoman did not swear oath on a Bible

[struggle4progress]

114. She's hardly the first elected federal official to forego the Bible

John Quincy Adams placed his hand on a law book; and Teddy Roosevelt similarly did not swear on a Bible

Deborah Wasserman Schultz used a Tanakh in 2005. Keith Ellison used Jefferson's Koran in 2007

... There is no requirement that members of Congress hold any text when they take their official oaths of office on the chamber floors or when they take a photo of the ceremonial oath afterward. However, many do—in fact, the Library of Congress provides a range of items to use: Protestant and Catholics bibles, Hindu texts, Buddhist verses, Qurans, and copies of the U.S. Constitution. Some members bring their own books and texts; some members hold nothing at all ... In this 113th Congress, Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu elected to Congress. The Representative from Hawaii and Iraq war veteran used her copy of Bhagavad-Gita for her swearing-in, which she said contained words that had brought wisdom and taught her to be a servant-leader. Other members used the Torah, different versions of the Bible, and the Quran ...

http://atheists.org/Congressional-swearing-in