“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Two hundred forty-five years later, these words that powered a revolution continue to fuel America, the greatest power for good that humankind has ever known.
As we celebrate our great nation’s independence, we’re proudly celebrating the freedom, the dignity and the hope that the American Dream promises – the hope of opportunity for all – the hope that is America’s heartbeat.
This Dream lives on today not just because of our principles and our values, but because of the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform.
While we celebrate what it means to be American with family and friends this weekend, we must never forget the heroes who are away from their loved ones preserving the flame of liberty and keeping us safe and free.
Growing up in the Wiregrass with the sound of helicopters constant overhead, going to school with classmates who had a parent overseas for months at a time, I know the importance of our military and extended defense community, as well as the sacrifice made by entire families.
We’re at a pivotal time in our nation’s history, as we continue our daily march to form a more perfect Union.
The past year has certainly reminded us how important our freedom is – that we must stand at the ready to fight to defend it at all times.
That’s a call that our service members and law enforcement officers choose to answer every day.
They do it not for fanfare or fortune, but for us — our freedom, our safety, our independence and our very existence.
They’re the very best of America. And America owes them our best in return.
Unfortunately, the Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget proposal is anything but.
By failing to even keep pace with inflation, the Biden budget is failing those who have never failed us andeffectively cutting defense spending.
It’s incumbent on us to ensure our military service members remain the best equipped and trained fightingforce the world has ever known. I firmly believe in the principle of peace through strength, and as China, Russia and other bad actors ramp up their military and defense spending, we cannot afford to shortchange our heroes.
As we celebrate July 4, please join me in praying for them and their families.
Our service members personify the true power and meaning of freedom for the world to see, shining a beacon of liberty that no external foe will ever be able to extinguish – unless we let them.
This weekend, let us all proudly say, “God Bless America and God Bless our heroes who keep our country safe and free.”
