A KHOU 11 viewer sent in a photo, saying it showed members of Congress sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Our Verify team did some digging to determine if the photo was real or fake. We learned the photo is real, but the story is a little more complicated than the one being shared online.
The picture dates back to 2009, and it’s not of Congress. It’s of New York state senators, and the lawmakers sitting are Democrats. They were protesting after two of their own suddenly switched sides, becoming Republicans and changing the entire balance of power in the statehouse.
While we can verify the picture is real, the idea that it is of Congressional Democrats sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance is false.
VERIFY: Sources
Google: reverse image search