Virginia Foxx: “Words matter, and ideas have consequences. That is why House Republicans are once again changing the name of the…”

“Words matter, and ideas have consequences. That is why House Republicans are once again changing the name of the committee I now chair to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Every time Democrats take control of the House, they swap out the word ``workforce'' for ``labor.'' This back and forth is at the core of Republicans' and Democrats' differing views on the concept of work. The Bible tells us that when God created Adam and Eve, He gave them the garden to cultivate and animals to name. This was work. Being made in the image of God means that we, like Him, have the capacity to build, create, and bring order from chaos. Using our God-given gifts, mankind has done just that. This ability to work and create is something to celebrate, not lament. Influenced by Marxism, the left prefers to call work labor. This is a mistake. I reject the idea that work freely done is toil. I reject the idea that work freely done is a curse. I embrace the idea that having the opportunity to provide for one's family is a blessing. Even those who do not adhere to a Biblical worldview can see empirically that men and women are at their best when they get to work. Work is fundamental to a lasting sense of fulfillment. As a small business owner myself, I know there is nothing better than the feeling you get when you look at something you have built with your own hands and ingenuity. I also prefer the word ``workforce'' over ``labor'' because all work is of equal value.…”