| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, On September 17, 1787, our nation's foundational |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | document was signed by 39 brave men who changed the course of |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | history, and each year, we celebrate the anniversary of that |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | momentous milestone as Constitution Day; and |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, This important observance was established in 2004, |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | when the U.S. Congress passed a bill designating September 17 as the |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | day for citizens to reflect upon the ideals of freedom set forth and |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | realized in the U.S. Constitution; in addition, the legislation |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | requires the teaching of the Constitution in schools so that our |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | future generations will understand the importance of this document, |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | which embodies liberty and freedom; and |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The world's oldest written national charter of |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | government, the Constitution created the framework for federal |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | governance, and its opening words, "We the People," affirm that the |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | government of the United States exists to serve the country's |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | citizens; the framers wisely separated and balanced governmental |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | powers to safeguard the principle of majority rule and minority |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | rights, the ideals of liberty and equality, and the interests of the |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | federal and state governments; and |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In its first three articles, the Constitution |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | established a republic representative form of government composed |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | of three separate branches, the legislative, executive, and |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | judicial; a system of checks and balances limits the powers of each |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | branch; two years after the signing, 10 amendments, known as the |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | Bill of Rights, were added to guarantee specific civil liberties; |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | and |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, A covenant that continues to shape our daily lives, |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | the U.S. Constitution has served as the cornerstone of our republic |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | for more than two centuries, and it has become an internationally |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | celebrated model for creating a system of government of the people, |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | by the people, and for the people; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | Legislature hereby recognize September 17, 2022, as Constitution |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | Day and encourage all Texans to learn more about the United States |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | Constitution and its vital role in the preservation of the rights |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | and freedoms of all Americans. |
|---|