Jeff Fortenberry: “As I walked through the airport recently, I noticed a young teenager. She was traveling and was seemingly happy to be…”

“As I walked through the airport recently, I noticed a young teenager. She was traveling and was seemingly happy to be involved in whatever activity she was going to. She wore a button on her lapel. It said: What you do matters. It caught my attention: What you do matters. I liked it. I am not sure what was motivating her, but she wanted to communicate an important value to elevate an ideal. I simply admired her willingness to take a stand. Mr. Speaker, I should say this now, though: There is a troubling statistic out there, and a recent survey highlights this. A majority of Americans do not identify with what America has become. Many people feel our country is slipping away. In reality, most want to reclaim the promise of our great Nation. Contrary to the barrage of negativity, most people hope for justifiable goals: to regain power over their own lives, to regain power over the government, and to regain power over their own economic prospects. Mr. Speaker, one of the strengths of America's system of government is its capacity for constant replenishment. Opportunities sometimes present themselves unpredictably. That gives us a chance to reassess and realign in new and compelling ways, both to preserve important traditions as well as to restore the future promise of our Nation.…”