[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12481]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           CONSTITUTION WEEK

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for the last 229 years, one document 
has shaped our system of government and embodied the character of our 
country. It has guided us through crisis and promoted our national 
ideals of equal justice, limited government, and the rule of law.
  I speak, of course, of the U.S. Constitution. More than two centuries 
ago, the Founders met to write it in the same Pennsylvania State House, 
now called Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was 
signed and where George Washington received his commission as commander 
of the Continental Army.
  The Constitution was drafted in 1787 and signed in that year on 
September 17. That is why this coming week of September 17 to the 23 is 
Constitution Week, a time we set aside to commemorate this revered 
document.
  During Constitution Week, we teach the history of our Constitution 
and of America's promise of liberty for all to the younger generations. 
One organization that has taken the lead in helping young Kentuckians 
learn about the Constitution is the Bryan Station chapter of the 
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Located in 
Lexington, the Bryan Station NSDAR will reach out to several schools in 
the area to help students understand the historical significance of our 
guiding document.
  They will work to educate students of their rights and 
responsibilities as citizens. They will show them how the Constitution 
lays the foundation for our country's heritage of liberty. And they 
will encourage students to study the historical events which led to the 
drafting of the Constitution and its signing on September 17, 1787.
  So in commemoration of Constitution Week 2016, I want to commend the 
Bryan Station NSDAR for their commitment to civic participation and 
civic education in the Commonwealth. I want to recognize all the 
students, teachers, and community leaders in Kentucky and across the 
Nation who are working to spread an understanding of the Constitution 
and the ideals it symbolizes.
  I also want to especially recognize and thank the men and women in 
uniform who swear an oath to defend our Constitution, particularly 
those who serve in Kentucky at Fort Knox, Fort Campbell, the Blue Grass 
Army Depot, or as Reservists or members of the National Guard. Without 
their service and sacrifice, we would not enjoy the liberties enshrined 
in this historical document.
  As Abraham Lincoln once said, ours is a government of the people, by 
the people, and for the people. The Constitution begins with the very 
words, ``We the people.'' It ensures that, in America, power is 
dependent on the consent of the people. And that principle has helped 
to build a nation that represents the greatest hope for freedom around 
the world.

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