Constitution Day Calls for Civic Participation

When I celebrated my birthday on September 17th growing up on our family farm, I didn’t know I shared the day with Uncle Sam. On that day in 1787, our nation’s founders signed America’s highest law of the land – the Constitution.

While I can’t attribute my interest in government to this coincidence, it nevertheless coincides with my efforts to foster civic engagement. Constitution Day calls Americans to reflect on our storied system of self-government, as well as consider ways to participate in and contribute to society.

Thanks to the courageous patriots who fought for liberty during the Revolutionary War – and generations of men and women who have worn the uniform since – Americans are blessed to live in a country known as the land of the free and the home of the brave. We must never take our individual rights and freedoms for granted.

After declaring independence from the British Crown, the 13 colonies waged war for seven years, securing victory with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Governing pains tested our newly formed nation’s ability to tackle debt, regulate trade and conduct foreign policy.

So, delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to reset the framework for the federal government. After five weeks of debate, 39 delegates signed the Constitution on September 17th, setting forth an experiment rooted in American exceptionalism: government authority comes from “We the People.”

The Federalist Papers marshalled support for ratification, required by nine of the 13 states. James Madison was one of the chief cheerleaders pushing for its approval, suggesting the success or failure of the Constitution would “decide forever the fate of republican government.” In Federalist No. 51, Madison explained the design of our system of checks and balances and the separation of powers to rein in government abuse and protect individuals’ rights.

As a U.S. Senator, I work tirelessly to keep check on government overreach through oversight. For example, I’ve led efforts to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from violating the Clean Water Act of 1972 that would have subjected 97 percent of the land in Iowa to federal red tape. I’m glad the Supreme Court in May rejected EPA’s rule, which two administrations had pushed.

The Supreme Court this summer recalibrated an imbalance in the three branches of the federal government. It overturned the Chevron doctrine that had long given federal agencies wide latitude to interpret legislation. The landmark ruling put the onus back on Congress to be more specific when writing legislation – that's a victory for limited government the founders designed in the Constitution. Giving too much leash to unelected regulators can result in an unaccountable system where the well-connected get their bread buttered and average Americans are left with crumbs.

Most recently, I’ve worked to reclaim authority to the people’s branch using the Congressional Review Act to stop heavy-handed regulations that would make it harder for Americans to save for retirement; mandate unfeasible wage hikes on small businesses; and push reckless policies that endanger migrant children.

In Federalist No. 62, Madison said good government implies “fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people.”

As Iowa’s longest serving U.S. Senator, I hold myself accountable by making myself accessible to the people. I just finished my 44th straight year holding question-and-answer sessions in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties. This tradition is the essence of representative government and helps keep my finger on the pulse of the issues most important to my constituents, including their happiness.

There’s no question America faces challenges. We must bring down the cost of living, tackle the national debt, fix our broken immigration system and embrace bipartisanship to strengthen peace and prosperity in uncertain times. Working together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. The Constitution bakes the secret sauce into the American experiment by vesting the power of government in the people’s hands “to form a more perfect Union.”

Benjamin Franklin bestowed responsibility on “We the People,” declaring America had a republic “if you can keep it.” As we celebrate Constitution Day, I share in Dr. Franklin’s call for civic duty and enduring hope for America. Referring to an emblem of a half sun depicted on the chair from which George Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention, Franklin said he wondered whether the sun was rising or setting. As the final signatures sealed the Constitution for ratification, he said, “I have the happiness to know, that it is a rising, and not a setting sun.”

Constitution Day was September 17.