A Founding Father's Words Ring True

From sea to shining sea, millions are taking this week to celebrate America the Beautiful and the opportunity and hope she has brought to her people for 249 years. We also celebrate the historic signing of the Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding document, which laid the blueprint for the freedoms we enjoy today. Thomas Jefferson, one of the document’s most famous authors, said, "I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means. This is our day of deliverance." His words still ring true today.

After months of hard work, bicameral conversations, and late nights in committee markups, our nation has another historic moment to celebrate. House and Senate Republicans passed a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation, delivering on the mandate handed to each member of Congress who was elected in November. Over the past several months, House Republicans have worked tirelessly to put pen to paper in order to craft legislation that delivers on the promises the President and House Republicans made to the American people. 

This monumental bill takes a step toward restoring fiscal sanity in federal spending, empowering American taxpayers instead of expanding bureaucracy, and fueling freedom from foreign adversaries through unleashing American energy; creating greater domestic opportunity which the abundant natural resources in our own backyard provide. As a proud Arkansan and American, it was a great privilege to have the opportunity to not only cast my vote for a better America, but to cast my vote in order to ensure prosperity, certainty, and hope for Arkansans throughout the Fourth District.

By curbing wasteful spending, House Republicans have ensured that vulnerable Americans will be able to receive the help they need, while stewarding taxpayer-funded programs responsibly. By creating greater fiscal sanity, House Republicans are delivering the largest tax break to working and middle-class Americans in our nation’s history. By bolstering our border security, House Republicans are keeping communities safe and fighting back against the war on deadly and illicit drugs like fentanyl. And by unleashing America’s energy potential, House Republicans are delivering results to lower costs at the gas pump, creating more jobs in the energy sector, and decreasing American dependence on adverse nations for critical minerals and rare earth elements.

Thomas Jefferson was right when he said that our founding ideals would take continuous work to protect and preserve. We must never sit idle, for even one moment, and expect that the work we have done is enough to maintain our liberties. For 249 years, our nation’s legislators have fought to continue paving the way for future generations. This week was no different, as the 119th Congress upheld that legacy and delivered the promise of a better tomorrow for the American people. There is no greater honor or anything I take more seriously than representing the people of the Fourth District of Arkansas. The rural communities, farming families, and workers who span across this great congressional district are a top priority every day. I am thankful for the opportunity to bring their voices with me to Washington in order to craft legislation and cast votes to empower every Arkansan with opportunity and security.