A member of the Congressional Prayer Caucus insisted on Thursday that House Republicans were forced to pass a resolution reaffirming that "In God We Trust" is the national motto as a reminder to President Barack Obama.

"This was a priority because the president himself had stated that the motto of the country was E Pluribus Unum," Prayer Caucus member Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) told Fox News host Bill Hemmer. "So, we thought we'd remind him."

"Are you suggesting that there is a crisis of identity?" Hemmer asked.

"Well, the resolution was necessary because we felt it was appropriate to remind the president what, in fact, the motto of our great country is," Price explained.

"You aren't saying he's against religion or there's no suggestion in there?" Hemmer wondered.

"There was no suggestion at all," Price declared. "It was an opportunity to say, 'No, Mr. President, the motto of this country is not E Pluribus Unum.' ... We'll remind you."

"That's not putting people back to work," Obama said Tuesday. "I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work. There's work to be done. There are workers ready to do it. The American people are behind this."

"In God We Trust" was also reaffirmed in 2002 when the Republican-controlled Congress passed a bill that said no changes should be made to a 1956 law that originally made the phrase the national motto.

Critics of Tuesday's resolution noted that in 2010, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) promised a laser-like focus on jobs and the economy, even crafting what has been termed the "Cantor Rule."

"Each day, we will hold ourselves accountable by asking the following questions: Are our efforts addressing job creation and the economy; are they cutting spending; and are they shrinking the size of the federal government while protecting and expanding individual liberty?" Cantor explained. "If not, why are we doing it?"