Constitution Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for the last 229 years, one document has shaped our system of government and embodied the character of our country. It has guided us through crisis and promoted our national ideals of equal justice, limited government, and the rule of law.

I speak, of course, of the U.S. Constitution. More than two centuries ago, the Founders met to write it in the same Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where George Washington received his commission as commander of the Continental Army.

The Constitution was drafted in 1787 and signed in that year on September 17. That is why this coming week of September 17 to the 23 is Constitution Week, a time we set aside to commemorate this revered document.

During Constitution Week, we teach the history of our Constitution and of America's promise of liberty for all to the younger generations. One organization that has taken the lead in helping young Kentuckians learn about the Constitution is the Bryan Station chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Located in Lexington, the Bryan Station NSDAR will reach out to several schools in the area to help students understand the historical significance of our guiding document.

They will work to educate students of their rights and responsibilities as citizens. They will show them how the Constitution lays the foundation for our country's heritage of liberty. And they will encourage students to study the historical events which led to the drafting of the Constitution and its signing on September 17, 1787.

So in commemoration of Constitution Week 2016, I want to commend the Bryan Station NSDAR for their commitment to civic participation and civic education in the Commonwealth. I want to recognize all the students, teachers, and community leaders in Kentucky and across the Nation who are working to spread an understanding of the Constitution and the ideals it symbolizes.

I also want to especially recognize and thank the men and women in uniform who swear an oath to defend our Constitution, particularly those who serve in Kentucky at Fort Knox, Fort Campbell, the Blue Grass Army Depot, or as Reservists or members of the National Guard. Without their service and sacrifice, we would not enjoy the liberties enshrined in this historical document.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The Constitution begins with the very words, ``We the people.'' It ensures that, in America, power is dependent on the consent of the people. And that principle has helped to build a nation that represents the greatest hope for freedom around the world.

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