Defending America's Values and Protecting America's Communities

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, today's Special Order, which I am proud to host, is about defending America's values and protecting America's communities.

I have no doubt that the greatness of our beloved country can be found in ``We the People,'' and I would say that America is great because of the people and the values which they hold so dear: the things that we believe collectively, the ideals that we hold out and strive for as a nation, imperfect people striving for a more perfect Union. And those values distinguish this experiment in liberty and democracy.

There is a reason that people from all over the world literally risk their lives to come here to be a part of this experiment in self- government, and I would say those ideals consist, first and foremost, in the belief that the American people run the affairs of this country, and we believe in that doctrine of popular sovereignty.

We believe that strong and healthy nations are nothing more than the cumulative effect of strong and healthy families; that is, the family is the cornerstone, at the cellular level it is the strength of the fabric of this country, and we should not make any apologies for policies that strengthen that core fabric.

We believe in the rule of law. We believe in the Constitution. We believe that we are a nation of laws, not of men. And we in this Chamber, in this great body of the people's House, should uphold, should promote, should defend these values; and when they are under assault and when they are not being lived up to, we should call that out. We should make sure that we are keepers of these values.

I have a lot to say about one element that is a cornerstone of our democracy, and, quite frankly, it is a cornerstone of civil society anywhere, and that is law and order. That is justice.

These are words, Mr. Speaker, that are easily found in the mission statement of our Federal Government, articulated, framed in the Constitution's preamble.

Domestic tranquillity--nobody, I would submit, knows more about the importance of rule of law, justice, and domestic tranquillity than my colleague, Mr. Clay Higgins from Louisiana. He has been a decorated law enforcement officer.

Like all of our men and women in uniform, he has put everything on the line to keep the bad guys away from our law-abiding citizens and their families and to make sure that we restrain evil and chaos so that we can continue the persistence of this great constitutional democratic Republic.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful that my colleague and dear friend, Representative Higgins, joined this important conversation.

It is clear, Mr. Speaker, my friend was not prepared or scripted formally, but he carries this great American story and the love and passion for public service and for a better, stronger, safer, freer America in his heart. If you cut this man, he bleeds red, white, and blue, and I feel blessed to serve alongside of him.

Mr. Speaker, I thank him for his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, as we talk about those values that have made America great and as we look out on the near horizon, we see a tremendous contrast and a distinct, maybe as definitive and distinct as we have ever had before the electorate of the vision, plans, and policies of one party versus another:

One with vast greater authority and power in the government; one that would continue to treasure, defend, and promote free people in a free country.

One would want to plan the economy from Washington, D.C.; the other vision and plan and policies would trust the ingenuity and the God- given gifts of the American people to create value for their fellow Americans and the free exchange of ideas of services and products, the free enterprise system, which has made this country the most prosperous country on the face of the planet and in the history of the world.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is freedom. And it is our core values of in God we trust and out of many one that we have elevated the human spirit like no other system of self-governance.

And I have friends here who are friends of freedom. They are champions of the Constitution. And they are keepers of the flame of these precious values that every day they take to the floor of the House to defend.

He was so eloquent in our first series on defending America's values. Today we have added to that defending and protecting our communities and respecting rule of law.

Mr. Chip Roy from the Lone Star State.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, and I would just pose the question to the American people who are watching us in the people's House: Should we be focused on what our Speaker and Democratic colleagues suggest is an imperative in this time of unprecedented crisis, unprecedented lawlessness, to have a sense of Congress, or a House Resolution that condemns the use of the place of origin of this virus? Or should we have a sense of Congress uniting all Americans in condemning the lawlessness and the violence that is burning through the great American cities without nigh even a word.

I would suggest my colleagues who remain silent are complicit as much as the local leaders who have abandoned their law-abiding citizens at such a time as this.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Roy for his love of country and his passion for public service.

Mr. Speaker, I will pass the mike, if you will, to my colleague from the Peach State, who is--I think he would be okay with me saying that he works for the people of the 10th District of Georgia, but he serves the King of Kings. He was a minister of the gospel and will always be first and foremost a proud representative and ambassador of our Lord Jesus. Again, honored to serve with him.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have Representative Jody Hice, a warrior for America's traditional values, for our Constitution, for our rule of law join in this important conversation with the American people in the people's House. I am honored to have you and grateful for your words.

Who would have thought that we would be here while once great American cities are being terrorized by violent, mob thugs who kill law enforcement officers in cold blood and then go to the hospital for those who have survived and to cry death to the cops. These are men and women who risk their life and limb to make sure we have civil order, justice, and domestic tranquility at the heart of this great Nation, defense, safety, security for our fellow Americans.

Mr. Speaker, Vicky Hartzler is another champion for the people of the Fourth District of Missouri. She is the chairwoman of the Value Action Team, so she is the lead keeper of that flame, and we are honored that she is here from the Show Me State.

And after all is said and done in Washington--more is said than done--she is a show-me leader. She is a doer, and she is fighting every day for these American values and for the next generation of Americans.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman and dear friend from the Show Me State for showing us the right path to condemn this violence, to support our men and women in uniform who are risking life and limb to keep us safe and to keep the bad guys away.

I fear my time is running short, as you stand from your chair.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I know we have 30 more minutes that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) was kind enough to share in the context of Defending America's Values.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Chip Roy for joining me tonight on the Special Order, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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