The Hill News

It is a high honor to welcome all members of Congress and their families to the House of Representatives.

To the new members and their families, let me offer a special welcome and congratulations.

We all come here to represent our constituents; our respect for each other is rooted in our respect for the people we serve.

This month we will observe the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. As a student, I was there in the freezing cold and heard the stirring address which inspired generations of Americans to public service.

In his 1962 State of the Union address, from this same dais, President Kennedy said to Congress, “The Constitution makes us… all trustees for the American people, custodians of the American heritage.”

Today, as we take the oath of office to support and defend the Constitution, we do so as trustees of America’s best hopes and custodians of America’s highest ideals.

However we may differ, let us never lose sight of our common love for this exceptional nation and our shared obligation to light the way forward.

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