Overview

• On June 6, Rep. Mary Miller posted on X that it was “deeply troubling” to allow a Muslim to lead the House prayer before editing the post to correctly identify Giani Surinder Singh as Sikh and then deleting it entirely.
• Giani Surinder Singh, a Sikh Granthi from New Jersey invited by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, led the House’s customary morning prayer under a long-standing tradition of welcoming diverse faith leaders.
• Lawmakers across both parties condemned Miller’s comments as xenophobic, with Representatives Jared Huffman, Grace Meng and some Republicans calling her post ignorant and bigoted.
• The Sikh Coalition demanded a formal apology to Sikh and Muslim communities, stating that deleting the tweet does not address the harm inflicted by her remarks.
• The incident highlights ongoing debates over religious diversity and freedom in Congress and adds to scrutiny of Miller’s history of inflammatory statements praising Hitler and celebrating the Roe v. Wade reversal as a “victory for white life.”