It’s incredibly humbling to hold a job whose description is written in our Constitution. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do so and I consider it an almost-sacred trust. That’s why I’m outraged when that trust is broken. Too many Americans have lost faith in our democracy, trust in elected officials, and belief in our politics.
I believe there’s a better way. I believe elected officials ought to be held to the highest possible ethical standards. I believe we should empower people, not special interests, and serve with humility, not hubris.
I’ve sworn an oath to protect and defend our Constitution several times and I take that responsibility seriously. In my five years in Congress, I’ve participated in half of our country’s impeachment votes, the 5th longest Speaker vote, the longest government shutdown, the violent attack on our Capitol and attempt to overthrow the government, and the first ever removal of a Speaker by motion. We must never accept this chaos as normal. I believe we can and must do better.
Those who want to harm our democracy are no match for those of us who believe in it. But defending our democracy will take work. It will take a new kind of politics — the kind of politics I have been practicing since I first decided to run for office. We must put people over politics to change our nation’s trajectory.
We cannot legislate our way out of political division. Those of us privileged to serve in Washington must lead by example. We will heal by recognizing the humanity in each other and accepting that we are going to debate and disagree but without resorting to violence and vitriol. We must defend our ideals by doing the hard work of reaching across divides to remember the shared values that bring us together as Americans.
Together, we can keep building the promise of America — the promise that we are always shaping a better future for the next generation.
I know you are doing this work alongside me, and I’m proud to share it with you.
