Chuck Grassley: “At the start of this new year, one of the dates is coming up that we always honor, but this is a special honor of that…”

“At the start of this new year, one of the dates is coming up that we always honor, but this is a special honor of that day because, on July 4 of this year, the United States of America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation's founding. Throughout our history, Americans from all walks of life have shaped our story, including, and most importantly, the 56 colonists who signed the Declaration of Independence. These men--if it were happening today, there would be women in that group. These men reflected profiles in courage, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor on a piece of parchment paper. As benefactors of their bold commitment to freedom, we must never take for granted the remarkable risk and providential promise that they embraced. Since July 4, 1776, Americans can trace a shared heritage--a heritage of freedom--to that founding document proclaiming our unalienable rights and self-evident truths: equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence launched the American experiment that continues from one generation to the next. This experiment is unique in the 6,000-year history of humans.”