Washington in 5 minutes

CAPITOL

Atheists target visitor center

MADISON, Wis. | The nation’s largest group of atheists and agnostics filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block an architect from engraving “In God We Trust” and the Pledge of Allegiance at the new Capitol Visitor Center in Washington.

The Madison-based Freedom from Religion Foundation’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in western Wisconsin, claims the taxpayer-funded engravings would be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

The House and Senate passed identical resolutions this month directing the Architect of the Capitol to engrave “In God We Trust” and the Pledge in prominent places at the entrance for 3 million tourists who visit the Capitol each year.

The resolution came in response to critics who complained that Congress spent $621 million on the new three-story underground center without paying respect to the nation’s religious heritage. The center opened in December.

The foundation is seeking a court order to stop the engravings, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will cost less than $100,000.

INTERIOR

Salazar seeks new mining rules

An Obama administration official says reforming the nation’s 137-year-old hard-rock mining law is a top priority that Congress must address.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a Senate panel Tuesday that the administration will devote “significant resources” to aiding congressional reformers who want to rewrite the General Mining Law of 1872. “We think Congress can get this done.”

Critics say the law has left a legacy of hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines that are polluting rivers and streams throughout the West. Mining companies also don’t pay royalties on gold, silver, copper and other hard-rock minerals mined on public land.

Mr. Salazar said Congress should be able to pass a mining bill even though its agenda is brimming with other issues.

LABOR

NFL players union to lobby Congress

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