[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 181 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               JONATHAN SEROTA YALE MODEL CONGRESS SPEECH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 19, 2013

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to draw your 
attention to a speech given by one of my young constituents, Jonathan 
Serota of Brookville, NY. Jonathan ran for President of Yale Model 
Congress and spoke about the need for compromise and commitment to our 
country. His words are wise beyond his years and all of the members of 
this chamber would do well to hear them. I'd like to share them with 
you now and hereby insert Jonathan's speech as follows in the 
Congressional Record:

       For 408 hours, the government of the United States of 
     America shut down its facilities and closed its doors. Over 
     the course of that tumultuous time, national parks, museums, 
     and public grounds were barred to visitors. 800,000 Federal 
     workers were sent home from their jobs, and many more were 
     forced to work with delayed pay. Veterans, and active duty 
     military personnel and their families were kept in a constant 
     state of fear, worried about making ends meet. This period of 
     panic was not caused by some foreign aggressor, some 
     archenemy of state, or some ruthless tyrant. No, the crisis 
     that shook the very faith that the American people had in 
     their government, was caused by that very body itself. So who 
     is to blame for the government shutdown? Shall we point 
     fingers at Republicans? How about the Democrats? It must be 
     someone's fault right? That IS what our political system has 
     taught us isn't it? Well, it appears that recently, that is 
     just what it has done. As the ominous clouds descended upon 
     the capital in the early hours of October the 1st, the 
     government shutdown that took place in the District of 
     Columbia, and all across the country, had effects that will 
     continue to be impactful for years to come.
       Model Congress. The word `model' implies a want or desire 
     to replicate, to recreate and imitate. For years now, 
     thousands of students have come to Yale and other conferences 
     alike, and taken pride in acting as Senators, 
     Representatives, Cabinet Members, and Presidents. We have 
     touted our accomplishments on our resumes, shined our gavels 
     and framed our certificates. My question to you tonight is: 
     Do we really, want to model Congress? The body which we have 
     all gathered here tonight to replicate has, over the past 
     several years, produced a stalemate and inefficiency that has 
     rarely been seen in the long and arduous history of both man 
     and this nation. Complete ideological division, refusal to 
     compromise, and the inability to put national interest above 
     self interest has weakened our country, as well as its image 
     both at home and abroad. Why is it as teenagers, we are able 
     to sit down, talk, work out our problems, and come to 
     productive agreements, but as adults, we put our fingers in 
     our ears and stomp our feet on the ground until we get what 
     we want? The roles seem to be backwards if you ask me.
       People would like to have you believe that we are naive, we 
     are inexperienced, and we know too little about the world to 
     make decisions on our own. Well I argue the contrary. I think 
     that they are too rigid, they are too closed minded, and they 
     are too pleased with pushing the blame onto others, that they 
     fail to see that the problem is caused by no one else but 
     themselves.
       Is this what America is about? Surely the land of the free 
     and the home of the brave is not just some idealistic 
     nonsense that we were told about in second grade, and then by 
     the cruel hand of fate, forced to rule out as anything but 
     true. The American ideal that we all hold dear to our hearts, 
     the feeling of honor that sweeps over our senses and rushes 
     down our spine when we publicly declare, ``I am proud to be 
     an American!'' is only true because our government is about 
     us, the people. We, the people, in order to form a more 
     perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic 
     tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the 
     general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to 
     ourselves and our posterity. We are that posterity.
       We have come to this conference to argue for things which 
     we are passionate about, and argue against those which we are 
     passionately not about. We have come to this conference to 
     test each other, and our ability to work together to shape 
     both foreign and domestic policy. We have come to this 
     conference to gain experience, to gain knowledge, and to make 
     progress not only for ourselves, but also for those who feel 
     that their opinion doesn't matter. While most of us came here 
     tonight with distinct political agendas, we have always been 
     able to open our minds, challenge our beliefs, and move 
     together in the hope that we may one day truly create what 
     Ronald Reagan famously described as, ``that shining city on a 
     hill.''
       I love what we do here at Model Congress. If you ask me, I 
     don't think we imitate Congress, we act better than it. We 
     don't aspire to be like them, we aspire to be better than 
     them. Here, at this conference, we have come together to act 
     like the body of government that the founders intended. There 
     are no special interest groups, no superpacs, no shady 
     campaign deals, and no political parties. There is only the 
     work we have set out to do, and the goals which we wish to 
     achieve.
       As I sat to write this speech, I decided that I wanted to 
     talk about something that really mattered to us, the youth of 
     America. Now, I could have simply gotten up here, shouted a 
     couple of phrases like ``legalize marijuana,'' ``Make the 
     playing field fairer,'' ``lower taxes,'' ``feed the hungry'' 
     and ``help the poor.'' And while I'm sure that I would have 
     gotten a couple of apathetic rounds of applause, I thought 
     that it would be more prudent to get up here, and as I have, 
     talk about something that we, both as citizens and as young 
     adults, are frustrated with in the hopes of bringing about 
     change.
       If elected I vow to each and every one of you, that I will 
     help us take those first frightening steps into the obscure 
     and unsure future. I will do my best to lead this conference 
     in a way so that Congressmen, Senators, Governors, and 
     Presidents alike know that we won't accept anything less than 
     that second grade idealistic dream, so that our peers both 
     here and at home know that we mean business, and so that we 
     may all realize that we must join hands and look into the 
     unknown abyss that is our future, and conquer it with the 
     fearless determination that is so quintessentially American.
       With hope and faith, we move forward together. With 
     knowledge and determination, we strive, to make a better 
     tomorrow. May God Bless each and every one of you, and may 
     God Bless the United States of America.

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