The People's Night

Floor Speech

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Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

And I thank those who are with us tonight because this topic is one of, I think, the most important to our Nation. It certainly was key to the foundation of this Nation.

And the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) is right, because if you go back and you read that farewell address that Washington gave, it is one of the most inspirational pieces. He had the power. He had the position. He had the respect of the people. But he did probably the most admirable thing that we have seen in this Nation, in that he voluntarily gave it up because he knew that the power didn't reside in the President. He knew that the power didn't reside in him, as an individual. He understood that the power of this Nation stood with the people. And with that power comes a responsibility. It is a responsibility that all of us hold, as citizens of the United States of America. For it is truly a privilege and an honor to be a citizen in this country.

I hearken back a couple hundred years ago to those who blazed new trails and decided that this Nation was going to be an inspired nation, inspired by God, that we weren't bashful about recognizing that God played a role in our lives and that the power of prayer was an important part of our Nation.

But also incumbent upon that was that every man, woman, and child--every able-bodied person--do their part, that we all had accountability and responsibility not only to take care of ourselves but to also do what we can to help foster a greater community.

You see, this was a new idea. It wasn't that way across the world. There were dictators, and there were others that really wanted to rule and control people. But the inspiration that our Founders had in the foundation of our Nation was rooted in this idea that the people--the people--had the power.

Fast-forward now to those who serve--whether they serve in the armed services, whether they serve in the Federal Government or the State government or wherever they might serve, it should be a recognition that we serve the American people, that we serve them.

So as we look at all the issues that face us--whether we are going to spend money, whether we should pass this bill or not--let's remember a couple of things.

And I would mention this to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) because I know he knows this. And I know it. But I want my kids to know it.

As we look at things we do in Congress, as we look at the men and women who serve our Nation, most do it in a very admirable way. They are patriotic. They are hard-working. They care about this Nation. But we have some that don't really meet that standard. And it is probably most fair, most humane, most decent that we hold people to a high standard.

One of the things I want my kids to understand about government, about life in general, is that when they talk about the government and they talk about the Federal Government, it is really interesting. We will have this happen in our committee from time to time. We will say, well, whose money is it? And they will say, well, it is the government's money.

No, it is not. It is the people's money.

You see, every time we decide to spend money in Congress, what we are really deciding is, should we pull money out of somebody's pocket--should we pull money out of your wallet, take it over here, and hand it to somebody else?

Now there are some worthwhile causes for doing that, right? There are some worthwhile things to do: the protection of our Nation, for our armed services. I buy that. I get that. But we are spending far too much money on too many things. We can't be all things to all people.

So going back to my original premise here, as I try to teach my own kids and try to remember myself, we have to be exceptionally responsible stewards of these assets and resources that aren't ours. They are an individual's.

For you see, at the heart of this, it is something that I think President Washington understood: that the most powerful thing upon our Nation is the power of the people, and it is their own self-determination that should rule the day. You limit their self-determination the more you regulate them and the more you pull that money directly out of their pockets and give it to somebody else.

Now, there is room for regulation. There is room for certain things in the public good. But I tell you, most of what happens, most of what goes on in Washington, it is far too much. It is excessive. And we have to remember at its core that accountability and responsibility for those of us who are fortunate enough to serve in a public role is imperative, but it is also imperative that each individual takes upon themselves their own accountability and their own responsibility.

As able-bodied men and women, children, you have got to pull your own weight. You have got to carry your own bucket. You have got to do what you have got to do not only to help yourself but to help your community, your friends, and loved ones as well.

And that is the heart of what I think the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) brings to this body. I know he cares about it passionately. It is what we are here talking about tonight. There are a host of examples where we are not holding people accountable, and we want to change that. I hope we are able to talk about that a bit tonight. But for the moment, I would say to the gentleman, thank you for allowing me to participate.

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