[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 109 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H5820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FOURTH OF JULY

  (Mr. ROTHFUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, 242 years ago, our Founders gathered in 
Philadelphia to launch an experiment in self-rule that has led to the 
greatest country the Earth has ever seen. Our founding happened in the 
time of history in which the understanding of the nature of the human 
person and the source of the human person's rights reached a new level.
  ``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''--God-given rights that no one can take away.
  This is a transcendent principle that applies to all people for all 
time. It is the fundamental principle on which Abraham Lincoln relied 
as he fought to end slavery. The notion of God-given, unalienable 
rights that no government or majority can take away is as true today as 
it was in 1776 and 1861.
  This Fourth of July, let us recommit to the principles of our 
founding and continue to work to ensure that all Americans realize the 
vision of our Founders. That, Mr. Speaker, is an idea that can lead to 
greater unity in our country.

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