[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2189]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PUT AMERICA FIRST

  (Mr. MULLIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MULLIN. Mr. Speaker, I come to you today not as a Republican or a 
Democrat, but an American committed to the United States Constitution. 
I regularly hear from my constituents who are fed up with the 
bipartisan fighting. We pledge allegiance to the United States of 
America, not our political parties. In President George Washington's 
farewell address, he said:

       With slight shades of difference, you have the same 
     religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You 
     have, in a common cause, fought and triumphed together. The 
     independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint 
     councils and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and 
     successes.

  Washington was right. We are all united by common bonds. Although we 
have our differences, we are more alike than we are different.
  In his address, Washington was not speaking to one party, but to all 
people of the young Republic. If we don't start putting this country 
first and partisanship last, we are going to ruin the country our 
fathers founded.
  It is no secret that we are facing difficult decisions, but I am 
committed to working with any Member of Congress regardless of party, 
as long as they're willing to put country first.

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