While it has long been tradition for members of Congress to swear their oath of office on a Bible, one newly elected Democrat is throwing out Scripture in place of something else.
According to the Blaze, California's Robert Garcia announced that he plans to place his hand on a collection of documents, including a classic Superman comic.
The story first emerged when Matt Laslo noted the presence of Superman #1 among a host of religious books that incoming House members are planning to use when taking their oath.
DEVELOPING: A member of the House of Representatives is taking their oath on a classic Superman comic book pic.twitter.com/MUJIv8VIlA
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) January 3, 2023
While congressional aides refuse to disclose who was planning to use the comic book, Garcia confirmed in a tweet that it will be part of his swearing in ceremony.
The Democrat said that in addition to Superman #1, he will also place his hand on a copy of the U.S. Constitution along with his citizenship certificate and a picture of his parents, both of whom died of COVID.
Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the U.S. Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to covid, my citizenship certificate & an original Superman #1 from the @librarycongress. 🇺🇸😊 pic.twitter.com/YGW43OLsIp
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) January 3, 2023
Explained that he is borrowing the comic from the Library of Congress. That Blaze pointed out that it is worth over $5 million.
The website noted that Garcia has promised to put up comic book images in his congressional office, continuing a practice that began when he was Long Beach mayor.
During an interview five years ago, Garcia spoke with a correspondent from The Weekly Grunion about his love for comics.
"I've been reading comic books since I was kid, and I remember the first comic book I ever bought was at an old thrift shop in my town," the then mayor recalled.
"The first comic was "The Adventures of Superman" comic. I started reading it and kind of got hooked after that. I've been reading comics now for over 25 years," he continued.
"My love of comics influenced me growing up, so I think being a Superman fan as a kid, I kind of wanted to go into journalism and I identify with the immigrant experience," Garcia added.
