Joe Pitts: “I rise to begin a discussion with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the House majority leader, on the importance of…”

“I rise to begin a discussion with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the House majority leader, on the importance of values to our Nation. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to speak today on this issue of vital importance for the survival of our Nation. Mr. Speaker, moral principles are the foundation of a good society. It is a simple fact that our democracy, the greatest government in history, was founded in large part so that Americans could practice and maintain a strong moral code in their way of life. The first people to colonize this Nation did so for the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, freedom of religion in order to freely follow a code of ethics to which they were firmly devoted. From the time of the Pilgrims we have associated the creation of America with the privilege and responsibility of applying moral principles. Even the modern anti-tax movement can trace its roots directly back to a moral principle present in colonial times that every penny and every power that government gets comes at the expense of personal freedom and personal opportunity. In fact, this principle helped spur the American Revolution.”