[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13723]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           CONSTITUTION WEEK

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                           HON. JOHN FLEMING

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 2013

  Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my thanks to the 
Louisiana Society Daughters of the American Revolution for their 
efforts to promote Constitution Week, September 17-23. The women of the 
Louisiana Society Daughters of the American Revolution have dedicated 
themselves to promoting a better understanding of the Constitution 
since 1895, and I commend them for their continued contributions.
   The Constitution of the United States of America sets us apart from 
every government that had come before. We are a nation of laws, not 
men. Our Constitution has survived the test of time in embodying and 
protecting that fundamental principle. Further, the Constitution 
guarantees our freedom of speech, religion, our right to bear arms and 
protects us from the government itself. Our Founding Fathers well 
understood the need to limit the power of any one branch of government 
through checks and balances.
   We owe the Daughters of the American Revolution a debt of gratitude 
for their efforts to promote the study of and reflection upon this 
critical document, as only an informed public can protect its own 
rights.
   When I was sworn in as a Member of Congress, I took an oath to 
support and defend the Constitution. The principles found in our 
Constitution have propelled our country to be a ``shining city on a 
hill.'' I believe our nation's greatness can be renewed by returning to 
our founding ideals.

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