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Contributed commentary by Congressman Matt Van Epps on what the Declaration of Independence means today:
On July 4, 1776, 250 years ago, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. This document wasn’t merely a letter of separation from Great Britain, but a declaration of what the American experiment was all about: self-government, equal rights, national sovereignty, and consent of the governed.
As Abraham Lincoln once remarked, while the Constitution of the United States is the frame of silver or the legal structure that governs our nation, the Declaration is the apple of gold at the center – the core principle that our nation was founded to uphold.
Thomas Jefferson didn’t have to write a document that would be true for all times and all people, but he chose to do so. And because of it, this document has changed the course of history. This action deserves to be commemorated, which is why I’ve chosen to introduce the actual text of the Declaration of Independence for passage on the House floor.
Declaration is nation’s promise and standard
The Declaration of Independence serves as the foundation of American self-government. The founders believed that because men and women are born free and are endowed with reason, a conscience, and God-given rights, we are capable of self-government. And the revolutionary idea that rights come from God – not government – has inspired political systems across the globe for 250 years.
Great Americans like Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass appealed to the Declaration’s promise of liberty and equality when seeking to right injustice. For 250 years, the Declaration has stood as our nation’s promise and standard.
As Douglass stated, “The Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nation’s destiny; so indeed I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever costs.”
Because the founding principles of liberty and equality have been embedded in our founding charter, we have become the freest nation on earth.
Attacks on principles of Declaration
The Declaration guided American life and government for 100 years unopposed, though sometimes misused. Yet during the Progressive Era, it came under grave attack. Woodrow Wilson, for example, argued that the idea of natural rights stood in the way of government action and what he called “progress.” In his essay, “The Author and Signers of the Declaration,” Woodrow Wilson even claimed that liberty had to be defined by each new generation, and that government must adjust accordingly. This contradicted Jefferson’s attempt to establish a permanent creed for our nation and paved the way for an ever-expanding federal government. For Wilson and other progressives, the Declaration and the Constitution were hindrances to their political agenda, not founding documents to honor.
This same attitude can, unfortunately, still be seen today. Too many are willing to throw aside our form of government and our concept of liberty and self-government to implement a leftist socialist agenda. In many ways, they have tried to replace self-government with big government. From Wilson to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, these presidents actively worked to concentrate power, not just in the federal government, but in the executive branch, at the expense of the states and Congress. For decades, the federal bureaucracy, also termed the administrative state, has acted as its own legislator, executor, and even adjudicator. This is not the system our founders set up.
Declaration should be passed as bill
America’s Founding Fathers believed that one of the most important safeguards for liberty was the separation of powers. They believed that all power in one hand or in one group of hands could lead to tyranny. And with the technology of the 21st century, the ability of a government to truly control its populace has never been greater. That is why we must recommit to safeguarding our freedoms and upholding our founding principles.
For that reason, I, along with Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, have introduced the Declaration of Independence as a bill. It passed in the Senate, and now it’s time to pass it in the House and get it to the president’s desk!
Congressman Matt Van Epps