Weekly Columns

America is a nation set apart because of the precious freedoms that exist here. Our distinct existence was settled because of patriots who first dreamed of liberty and fought hard to secure it for future generations. Liberty remains our foundation because of generations of Americans who resolved to preserve it.

On April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed, and the United States entered the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as one of 12 founding member countries. Seven decades later, the transatlantic alliance endures, and it has grown to include 29 countries, pledging still to face aggressors and security threats together.

As penned in the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers founded this nation with the strong belief that individuals are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." Among those is the right to life, which influences my commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, including the unborn.

Motivated by the desire to reduce gun violence, House Democrats last week brought up two pieces of legislation to expand background checks required for purchase and transfer of firearms. While I share the goal of keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and preventing mass violence, the legislation falls short of providing actual solutions to do so.

Both sides agree that government shutdowns are bad for the American people, bad for government and bad for policy making. After a painfully and unnecessarily long partial shutdown earlier this year, I am encouraged that last week Congress and President Trump worked together to avoid another lapse in funding and provide for some of the nation's pressing needs.