dˈʊɹɹɪŋ hɪz kəŋɡɹˈɛʃənəl tˈɜːm, dˈaʊni ˈɜːnd nˈeɪʃənwˌaɪd hˈɛdlaɪnz ˈæftɚ hiː pɹəpˈoʊzd lˌɛdʒɪslˈeɪʃən ðæt wʊdhɐv dᵻklˈɛɹd ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts tə bˈiː "ɐ kɹˈɪstʃən pˈiːpəl" ænd ɐpɹˈoʊpɹɪˌeɪɾᵻd dˈɑːlɚ fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ ɐbˌaʊt dˈɑːlɚ fˈoːɹtiːn.fˈaɪv mˈɪliən ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd twˈɛnti tˈuː tə kɹiːˈeɪt ænd ɪnstˈɔːl kɹˈɪstʃənθˈiːmd pˈeɪntɪŋz ænd ˈʌðɚɹ ˈɑːɹtwɜːk ɪn fˈɛdɚɹəl bˈɪldɪŋz.
During his congressional term, Downey earned nationwide headlines after he proposed legislation that would have declared the United States to be "a Christian people" and appropriated $500,000 (about $14.5 million in 2022) to create and install Christian-themed paintings and other artwork in federal buildings.