Whereas, since its founding, the United States has benefitted from the talents and ingenuity of people from around the world who have sought refuge, opportunity, and freedom from oppression and tyranny;

Whereas nearly 40 percent of Americans can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty has long stood as a beacon of hope and a symbol of freedom for generations seeking a better life;

Whereas the traditional motto of the United States, E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one), has served as a consistent throughline in each chapter of the American story, shaping the Nation’s character and guiding the aspirations of new Americans;

Whereas the United States has endured past eras of political divisiveness and national discord, yet has repeatedly risen to embrace the better angels of our nature, as described by Abraham Lincoln;

Whereas the Abolitionist Movement, the Reconstruction Era, the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and the Civil Rights Movement represent defining national moments in which the United States has strived to embody its highest ideals and serve as a Shining City upon a Hill for the world;

Whereas the spirit of E Pluribus Unum endures among the American people, and the Nation remains committed to its better angels and its founding ideals;

Whereas, in 1952, Congress designated September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the formation and signing on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution and recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens; and

Whereas July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, an occasion that invites all Americans to reflect upon the Nation’s founding principles of liberty, equality, and unity: Now, therefore, be it