On the recordMarch 29, 2023
I rise today humbled and honored to stand in this Chamber to represent the people of the great State of Nebraska. The first time I walked into this Chamber, I got chills. This Chamber represents the hopes and dreams and aspirations of the American people; it represents the shared values we have had for nearly two-and-a-half centuries; it represents just how exceptional our Republic, how exceptional America is. Today, it is all too easy to take for granted just how exceptional our great Nation is. Our Founders threw off the tyranny of a King with an idea. It was a really radical idea that our rights come to us directly from God, not from a King, and that governments were instituted to protect those rights. It was a brandnew idea that our rights are ours; that they are endowments from God, not consent from some government. Even today, after 246 years, our founding principles are just as true. These values--like the rule of law, checks and balances, federalism--they are critical to our Republic. We are strongest when we follow them, and we are never weaker than when we stray from them. We are also strong because of our Constitution. Our Constitution-- forging a government of the people, by the people, for the people--is the greatest governing document ever written. The primary purpose of our government is to secure people's liberty and happiness, their peace and prosperity, and we have done it really, really well for nearly two-and-a-half centuries.…
