[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 110 (Thursday, July 2, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HALEY M. STEVENS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 2, 2026

  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor America's 250th 
Anniversary. 250 years ago, a band of ordinary citizens, dedicated to 
the simple idea that all are created equal, came together and formed an 
enduring experiment that changed the course of history.
  For 250 years, America has been a model for democracy. A global 
beacon of freedom, lighting the path forward for governments of, by, 
and for the people in every corner of our world.
  For 250 years, America has been the land of opportunity. Where unions 
built the middle class and built an economy where all had the 
opportunity to succeed and create a good life for their family.
  For 250 years, America's natural beauty has outshined the world. With 
our Great Lakes and our national parks. With our spacious skies, our 
amber waves of grain, and our purple mountains majesty.
  For 250 years, America has been the launch pad of dreamers and doers. 
Henry Ford put the world on wheels. The Wright Brothers took us to the 
skies. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted our flag on the moon.
  For 250 years, America has pushed for progress. From westward 
expansion to the abolition of slavery to the expansion of the right to 
vote. From women's suffrage to civil rights to workers' rights. From 
Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, from Frances Perkins to Dolores Huerta, 
from Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Gloria Steinem.
  For 250 years, America has not stopped at the mountaintop. America 
has always looked beyond, pushing toward what is next. And 250 years 
on, America looks pretty damn good.
  Mr. Speaker, each of us takes an oath when we arrive in this storied 
chamber to support and defend our Constitution. Included in that oath 
is a promise to never give up on our shared pursuit of a more perfect 
union.
  We will never give up on a more perfect union where all get to live 
with dignity no matter what zip code they grow up in or what schools 
they attend.
  We will never give up on a more perfect union where all can freely 
practice their faith without fear of violence; where children and 
parents do not have to worry about guns; where Americans can feel safe 
in their homes, in their grocery stores, in their houses of worship, 
and in their communities.
  We will never give up on a more perfect union where parents can 
afford to raise their kids, buy a home, take vacations, and give their 
family a good life.
  We will never give up on a more perfect union where we invest in 
manufacturing, support union jobs, and fight back against giant 
corporations that screw workers out of fair treatment in the workplace.
  We will never give up on a more perfect union where every American is 
equal, where all have the right to vote and have their vote count. 
Where the promises of our 250-year-old Declaration of Independence are 
upheld and preserved for current and future generations.
  There is nothing that Americans cannot do when we put our in minds 
together and work to achieve our common goals. No star is too distant 
to explore, no depth too deep to discover, no disease too complex to 
understand, no cure too impossible to devise. Nothing is out of reach 
in the United States of America.
  Nothing is impossible in the land of the free. Nothing can stop us 
from forever seeking that more perfect union.
  When I think of America, I think of Michigan. And when I think of 
Michigan, I think of the greatest place on earth.
  I wish Americans a Happy Fourth of July, Happy Independence Day, and 
a Happy 250th anniversary of our great country.