Floor Statement Constitution Day

FLOOR STATEMENT CONSTITUTION DAY

Mr. President, each and every member of the Senate has taken an oath to uphold and protect the sacred document that has guided our nation well over 200 years: the Constitution. Indeed, we all hold the Constitution near and dear to our hearts here in the Senate, Mr. President, and yet I rise today to let my colleagues know that the students of Lynchburg-Clay High School in Highland County, Ohio, have done us one better.

You see, Mr. President, I received several letters late last year from students at Lynchburg-Clay High School asking me a simple question: "Why don't we have a holiday to pay tribute to the Constitution?" We have commemorative days to celebrate a great many things in this country, but amazingly enough, we don't have one to honor what is one of our nation's greatest contributions to democracy. The students at Lynchburg-Clay High School set out to change that, and I was honored to recently introduce a resolution, co-sponsored by my friend and colleague from Utah, Senator HATCH, to give life to the idea these students wrote to me about not long ago. I am very pleased that yesterday my Senate colleagues agreed to pass this very important resolution.

Our resolution is simple: It recognizes the special place the Constitution has in our national history, as well as the extremely vital role it continues to play today. Also, it formally designates September 17, 2003, as "Constitution Day." September 17th, of course, marks the anniversary of the day in 1787 when 39 brave men signed the final draft of the Constitution at the final meeting of the Convention.

An appropriate tribute to the Constitution requires more than simply attaching a name to a day on the calendar, however. The students from Lynchburg-Clay High School wrote to me, one of the two Senators representing them in the Senate and one of 20 Ohioans fortunate enough to serve on their behalf in Congress, about their respect for the Constitution. In doing so, the students embraced exactly the kind of democratic values and citizen involvement that the Constitution stands for, and I congratulate them for their effort.

It is my intention, Mr. President, that by passing this resolution, many more Americans might come to learn about the Constitution, and that as a result, their love and respect for the Constitution might come to match that held by the fine students and fellow Ohioans at Lynchburg-Clay High School.