Hello,
Ahead of this upcoming 4th of July holiday, I am reminded of one of my favorite presidential speeches: Ronald Reagan's 1986 Independence Day address. He delivered this speech to the nation near the Statue of Liberty before the firework display. One part in particular comes to mind this year:
All through our history, our Presidents and leaders have spoken of national unity and warned us that the real obstacle to moving forward the boundaries of freedom, the only permanent danger to the hope that is America, comes from within. It's easy enough to dismiss this as a kind of familiar exhortation. Yet the truth is that even two of our greatest Founding Fathers, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, once learned this lesson late in life. They'd worked so closely together in Philadelphia for independence. But once that was gained and a government was formed, something called partisan politics began to get in the way. After a bitter and divisive campaign, Jefferson defeated Adams for the Presidency in 1800. And the night before Jefferson's inauguration, Adams slipped away to Boston, disappointed, brokenhearted, and bitter.
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/address-nation-independence-day
While the two did rekindle their friendship, the strife between them had a lasting impact. These days, we are seeing increasing division. That is why I am thankful to be able to work with some of my colleagues across the aisle to get meaningful legislation passed, instead of holding our country in a stalemate.
Some examples:
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) and I introduced the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act. H.R. 2818 would increase the amount of funding available to disabled veterans for improvements and structural alterations provided to them by the Department of Veteran Affairs for home improvements related to their disability.
These veterans made incredible sacrifices for our country, and bear those burdens every day. Ensuring that they are comfortable in their own homes and able to live as independently as they want to be is a part of our promise to care for them.
https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1234
I re-introduced H.R.2480, the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act, alongside Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-At Large), Terri Sewell (D-AL-070), Susan Wild (D-PA-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico).This legislation seeks to improve maternal postpartum health by directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on the coverage of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy (PHPT) for postpartum mothers under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act.
https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1229
I am also co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Foster Youth Caucus and am a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, For Country Caucus and the Bipartisan Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. We have worked on legislation related to improved access to drivers’ licenses for foster youth, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and legislation related to Alzheimer’s research and funding.
We can work together on issues most important to Americans, without compromising core beliefs. Our founding fathers recognized this when they stood together to sign the Declaration of Independence. They had disagreements, but each one believed in what they signed and the guiding principles of liberty and justice.
I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Fourth.
