Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., closed Congress’ opening sermon on Sunday by saying "amen and awoman." Critics noted "amen" is not a gendered word; it means "so be it" or "so shall it be" in Latin.

On January 3, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) ended the opening prayer in the House of Representatives with the words “amen and awoman,” causing social media to erupt.

He didn’t say “amen” and awoman,” he said “we ask it in the name of the monotheistic god (something I couldn’t hear), known by many different faiths, a man and a woman.” My ...

Cleaver, a pastor, concluded the prayer saying 'amen and awoman' Rep. Emanuel Cleaver reads the prayer to open the 117th Congress.

God known by many names and by many different faiths. Amen, and awoman,” said Mr Cleaver, a representative from Missouri and an ordained United Methodist pastor.

He said "and awoman" as if he were honoring the female gender because it had been denied for generations through the word "amen." Anyone who has uttered a prayer knows it's not gender-specific.

"Amen and awoman," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., an ordained United Methodist pastor, says at the end of his prayer opening the 117th Congress.

He closes the prayer by saying “amen and awoman.” Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter Monday morning to express his distaste of the closing, saying in part that amen “isn’t a gendered word.” ...