Murray: “So as we celebrate America 250—and there’s a LOT to celebrate—remember: it IS patriotic to stand up for our freedoms and our values. You better believe I’m proud to be an American. Here’s to another 250 years of America.”
***WATCH: Senator Murray Delivers Patriotic Message to Washington State***
Washington, D.C. — Today, ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered a message of patriotism—celebrating this historic occasion. In a new video, she expresses her pride in being an American and underscores that true patriotism means standing up for American values.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
“This year we are celebrating 250 years of the American experiment—that is momentous. This is something all of us should be proud of. People from around the world have been inspired by the American experiment, our fight for freedom and democracy—the novel idea that ordinary people should govern themselves, not kings or the very richest among us.
“It’s the idea that someone who was ‘just a mom in tennis shoes’ could run for the United States Senate and win, becoming one of just a handful of women to join the Senate. It’s the idea that a whole lot of other moms and dads in tennis shoes could run for office and represent the incredible diversity of this great nation.
“The American experiment has not been perfect. Our country has been through dark times: the decimation of so many Native American Tribes, slavery, Jim Crow, McCarthyism, Nixon’s corruption, and now Trump’s corruption. Look, don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t love America if you criticize it. I criticize our current government precisely because I love America.
“I want an America where we honor and defend our Constitution and the ideals that made us the freest nation in the world.
“I believe that America’s diversity and our willingness to welcome immigrants from across the world is a genuine superpower—a strength that no other nation can claim. I mean, we are a nation founded by immigrants looking for opportunity. It’s so engrained in our history, it’s engraved into our Statue of Liberty.
“Let me be clear: today I am celebrating America. I am celebrating the values that make America great: free speech, equal rights under the law—a great society that believes if you work hard, you deserve to retire with dignity, that if you get sick, your country should help take care of you.
“I am so proud of the country that established Social Security. Medicare and Medicaid. The Civil Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act. The Affordable Care Act. And so much more that has made America a little more free and more fair for the people that call it home.
“Passing trillions of dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and giant corporations who don’t need the help, while millions of Americans lose their health care? Enriching your friends and family with absolutely historic acts of blatant corruption? Launching expensive and deadly foreign wars the people of this country simply do not support?
“That’s downright unAmerican to me—so you can absolutely count on me continuing to speak out.
“I know a lot of us are concerned about the direction our country is headed in, but the truth is every one of us—as Americans—decides the future of this nation with our voices and our votes.
“So as we celebrate America 250—and there’s a lot to celebrate—remember: it is patriotic to stand up for our freedoms and our values.
“You better believe I’m proud to be an American. Here’s to another 250 years of America.”
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