Washington, March 31 : Republican lawmakers used a coordinated House floor debate to push for new laws targeting Sharia law, saying â??seven bills stand readyâ?? to ensure no foreign religious code enters the US legal system.

The hour-long special order was led by Keith Self and Chip Roy, co-chairs of the Sharia Free America Caucus, which lawmakers said has grown rapidly since its launch three months ago.

Self told the House that the caucus now has â??60 membersâ?? from â??25 states across the United States,â?? calling it a sign of rising concern nationwide.

Framing the issue as a constitutional matter, Self said: â??America was founded on a timeless principle, individual freedom, secured by self-government under a clear and supreme rule of constitutional law.â??

Roy argued that lawmakers must confront what he described as a broader ideological challenge. â??You cannot win a war that you do not acknowledge exists,â?? he said.

Congressmen who took the floor during this hour-long debate were Randy Weber, Mark Harris, Mary Miller, Russ Fulcher, Buddy Carter, Barry Moore, Sheri Biggs, Randy Fine, Eli Crane, and Scott Perry.

Several lawmakers stressed that the US Constitution must remain the sole legal authority. Weber said: â??There is one law of the land, the Constitution of the United States, period.â?? Fulcher added: â??Sharia law cannot coexist with the US Constitution and the American rule of law.â??

Members linked their concerns to security and recent incidents. Self said â??March has seen multiple incidents linked to Islamist extremism,â?? while others warned of what they described as threats from within.

Texas featured prominently in the debate. Self pointed to a mosque-linked development in Plano, alleging it was â??a parallel societyâ?¦ a defacto Sharia enclaveâ?? operating within his district. He also referred to a proposed larger housing project that remains under regulatory and legal scrutiny.

Lawmakers called for legislative action, with Self saying â??seven bills stand readyâ?? to address what members described as Shariaâ??s influence. Moore said â??no foreign legal code should ever influence American courts,â?? while Biggs added: â??If you come to America, you come to live under American laws, period.â??

Fine described the moment as significant, saying lawmakers were speaking â??openly and honestly about one of the greatest threats that is facing the United States today.â??

Caucus leaders urged broader participation. Self called on colleagues â??Republican or Democratâ?? to join the effort, saying the goal was to defend â??one nation, one constitution, one rule of law.â??

/IANS