Richard K. Armey: “No Nation has been so blessed as America in the 1990s. We enjoy a prosperity that our parents and our grandparents could…”

“No Nation has been so blessed as America in the 1990s. We enjoy a prosperity that our parents and our grandparents could not even imagine. Each day we invent wonderful new things to make life easier and more interesting. Our scientists are uncovering the wonder of God's creation, from the secrets of our genes to the wonders of the universe. The social problems that have caused so much pain and worry are diminishing. Crime is dropping. Welfare dependency has plummeted. Unwed teenage pregnancy rates are finally dropping. Religious belief and attention to decent moral values are on the rise in this great country. Even abroad America is respected as the world's one remaining superpower. We have triumphed over the vile tyrannies. Democratic nations on six continents owe their elected governments to our example and to our support. We have never been safer. Our brave armed forces, though they certainly need more resources, are still unquestionably second to none, a fact we can all agree is being demonstrated today in the skies of the Persian Gulf. How did this great Nation of the 1990s come to be? It all happened, Mr. Speaker, because freedom works. As Americans, we know that when we allow ordinary people the freedom to help each other for their common benefit great things happen. And in this land they certainly have. But freedom, Mr. Speaker, freedom depends upon something, the rule of law, and that is why this solemn occasion is so important.”