Friends,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
There are perhaps no other words in history as important and impactful as this line from the Declaration of Independence, a declaration that was adopted July 4th, 246 years ago.
The signing of the Declaration is immortalized in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol – the very center of our government’s legislative branch – with a painting by artist John Trumbull commissioned in 1817. When I am in Washington, one of my favorite things to do is give tours to constituents and show them that painting. The first thing folks notice is its size. It is a massive 12 feet high and 18 feet long. In the center, Thomas Jefferson, along with the other 4 drafters of the Declaration of Independence including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, are seen presenting their work to the Continental Congress. Just behind them, two of North Carolina’s three signers – William Hooper and Joseph Hewes – can be seen.
In total, the painting depicts 47 of our nation’s founding fathers. Every time I walk by it on the way to vote in the U.S. House or show it to families touring the Capitol for the first time, I always have an overwhelming sense of pride and admiration for those who signed the Declaration of Independence and changed the course of history.
They were not perfect, but each of those men were leaders in their industries and states and could have amassed even more wealth under British rule. Yet they and their families risked everything they had – “their lives, their property, and their sacred honor” – in pursuit of a better, freer world not just for themselves, but for all mankind. They understood our unalienable rights came from God and wanted to form a government that protected them. Eleven years after the signing of the Declaration, many of these same founders formed the U.S. Constitution that enshrined these rights for posterity and established our democratic republic.
Now nearly 250 years since our nation’s founding began, I have made it my mission as your congressman to protect the values and rights set forth in both our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
Recently, many of these have been under attack, including our Second Amendment. That’s why last month, I led the House Republican opposition to gun legislation from the U.S. Senate. I was glad the Senate’s bill included many school safety and mental health provisions from my legislation, the STOP II, Secure Every School, and Protect our Nation’s Children Act. However, the bill went beyond that and threatened Second Amendment rights through measures like red flag laws and a de facto ban for law-abiding citizens under the age of 21.
As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights, while also protecting our children in schools, improving mental health, and saving lives.
Additionally, I remain focused on defending every other right laid out in our founding documents. That’s why I submitted a brief in support of a Supreme Court case regarding a high school football coach fired for refusing to stop praying after games. After leading voluntary prayers on the field after games for 8 years, Coach Joe Kennedy was placed on leave after his local school board instructed him to stop. Coach Kennedy took his case to the Supreme Court, where he finally won in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District last week. I was honored to meet with Coach Kennedy recently and appreciate him leading the fight to preserve our First Amendment rights of free speech and free exercise of our faith.
I have led efforts to protect the First Amendment, Second Amendment, and other rights because America’s ideals are worth the fight. Over two centuries ago, our founding fathers set out with the goal of building a land where all could live freely and peacefully. This Independence Day, I hope you will join me in giving thanks to God for the liberties He grants us and for our founders who recognized this fact and set the American experiment into action. I also remain thankful for the millions of men and women who have served our nation in uniform to defend our freedoms. Now, it’s up to us to preserve our nation for the next generation.
Until Next Week, Renee and I wish you all a blessed and safe Independence Day!
