The Week Just Passed:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…”

The Shocking and Senseless Death of Three Israeli Teenagers

“VA’s Series of Unfortunate Events” (American Legion magazine)

America’s Tax Code Chasing Good Jobs Overseas

President Obama’s Foreign Policy: Iraq

Salute: Shimon Peres, President of Israel, Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Salute: New Jersey’s Signers

Salute: Sean Maltby, Chatham H.S., winner of the House of Representatives STEM App Competition

Salute: Team USA and Tim Howard

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…”

Tomorrow, people across our country will celebrate Independence Day, the anniversary of the day on which, in 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress approved the final draft of the Declaration of Independence,  creating the United States of America.   

After the adoption of the Declaration, John Adams, one of the members of the committee that drafted the document (Thomas Jefferson was the principle author), wrote to his wife, Abigail, that he believed that America’s Independence Day:

[W]ill be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.  It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.

For 238 years, our country has served as a beacon of liberty to the rest of the world.  And while we have confronted, over the years, our share of challenges, the American spirit has always brought us through.  There is much to celebrate tomorrow, and every day, here in the United States of America! 

The Shocking and Senseless Death of Three Israeli Teenagers

I was deeply dismayed by the discovery early this week, in the desert outside Hebron, of the bodies of Gilad Shaar, 16, Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16, three Israeli teenagers ruthlessly murdered by members of the terrorist organization, Hamas.   Naftali held both American and Israeli citizenship.

This heinous crime only serves to heighten tensions in a region of the world already wracked by too much violence, anger, and hate.  The United States must continue to stand strong with our ally, Israel, in the search for a lasting, secure peace for the only democracy in the region.

“VA’s Series of Unfortunate Events” (American Legionmagazine)

This month’s issue of the American Legion magazine includes a deeply disturbing story about the many problems plaguing the Veterans health care system.

I am hopeful that the newly-nominated Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald, a West Point graduate and retired Army captain, will use his extensive private sector experience to shake-up the VA from top to bottom so that our veterans receive the expert care they deserve in a timely fashion.

America’s Tax Code Chasing Good Jobs Overseas

Ohio’s Senator Rob Portman authored a compelling article in the Wall Street Journal outlining the ways in which America’s tax code is driving businesses – and good paying jobs – overseas.  He identifies some much-needed reforms to our onerous tax code that will make the U.S. competitive with other industrialized nations, keeping jobs here at home for Americans.

President Obama’s Foreign Policy: Iraq

Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson argues persuasively that President Obama’s limited vision of America’s role in the world is failing its first big test, as the situation in Iraq and across the entire Middle East continues to deteriorate.

We must not repeat in Afghanistan the same mistakes we made in Iraq. The last thing America and the world needs is Afghanistan reverting to a haven for terrorists and an oppressor of its own people – especially women – because the United States failed to secure the gains it has made over the past 13 years.

Salute: Shimon Peres, President of Israel, Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

I was honored to attend the ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda last Thursday at which Shimon Peres, the President of Israel, was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal.

In awarding the prestigious medal to President Peres (the first to be awarded to a sitting President of Israel), “Congress proclaim[ed] its unbreakable bond with Israel and reaffirm[ed] its continual support for Israel.”  

The previous evening I had the privilege of attending a dinner saluting President Peres at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. I think Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, put it best when he said in his remarks at the dinner: “President Peres is that rare leader who is both a dreamer and a doer – talking about the future one day and then making it happen the next.”

Shimon Peres has dedicated his life to the service of his country and the quest for a lasting peace in the Middle East.  I salute him as a true giant of our time.

Salute: New Jersey’s Signers

On July 4, 1776, 56 men pledged to one another their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” as they adopted the Declaration of Independence. Among the signers were five New Jerseyans: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, and Abraham Clark. 

Today we tend to take for granted the success of the American Revolution, but at the time the Declaration was signed, the odds for success seemed very long.  I’d invite you to learn more about New Jersey’s signers by visiting this website:

Their stories are fascinating and inspiring!

Salute: Sean Maltby, Chatham H.S., winner of the House of Representatives STEM App Competition

Earlier this week I was delighted to meet with Chatham’s Sean Maltby, the winner of the 2014 House Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) App Competition.   The competition was open to all high school students in the 11th Congressional District and was judged by a panel of professors in STEM related fields and a local CEO in technology development.  

This competition affirmed my belief that New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District has some of our nation’s brightest young minds in technology development. Sean’s entry displayed a software development prowess not often seen in young students.  While there could only be one winner, each app submission displayed the highest levels of creativity, functionality and ingenuity in STEM subject areas.

Sean’s app will be displayed on the House of Representatives website this summer, along with the other winners from around the country.  Check out Sean’s winning submission here, I am sure you will be impressed!

Salute: Team USA and Tim Howard

New Jersey’s own, Tim Howard, turned in an impressive game in Tuesday’s World Cup match against Belgium, setting a new record for the number of saves in a World Cup match, successfully stopping 16 potential goals.  This compilation from ESPN shows every one of Howard’s amazing saves. 

Although the United States did not advance in the tournament, Team USA has much to be proud of!  One Nation. One Team.