新科議長M.J 的就職致辭

【余案：新科議長MIKE JOHNSON的姓名縮寫跟米高積遜（Micheal Jackson）一樣：M.J。很靚仔。剛過天命之年。擠在一堆老不死的政客之間，頗帶來一些新鮮氣息。他初登大寶的演説很精簡。看現場，則可以想見依然是冰炭同爐。右邊廂，幾乎全場站立，不斷拍手，歡呼叫好。左邊廂則零落星散，剩下一些資深者，空蕩蕩的。明顯不待見這個偶爾露崢嶸的死硬右派。果不其然，跟著就是社媒上的一曡聲憤怒聲討。左瘋政客跟左膠媒體寫手紛紛下場。指責這個新科議長直頭係「基督教基要主義」者啊，甚至驚呼：「You don't see too many politicians these days that talk about faith like this.」轉引自：https://thefederalist.com/2023/10/26/disingenuous-leftists-snarl-at-speaker-mike-johnsons-faith-because-they-know-its-a-threat/

不多見就對了。否則，大好美利堅又何至於淪落至此，沉疴不起至此。牛屎之類左媒自然不會放過新議長。立即理出清單，歷數MJ從政的短短幾年中，就已經招惹過牠們很多次了。我這裏衹是撮要譯出幾段有趣的。餘下的自己看好了。】

MIKE JOHNSON AND HIS SPEECH.
>> THANK YOU ALL.
FIRST A FEW WORDS OF GRATITUDE.
I WANT TO THANK LEADER JEFFRIES.
I DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I KNOW WE SEE THINGS FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW BUT IN YOUR HEART YOU LOVE AND CARE ABOUT THE COUNTRY AND WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
WE ARE GOING TO FIND COMMON GROUND THERE, RIGHT.
[APPLAUSE]
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GREAT THANKS FOR OUR SPEAKER EMERITUS, KEVIN McCARTHY.
[APPLAUSE]
KEVIN HAS DEDICATED OVER TWO DECADES OF HIS LIFE TO SELFLESS PUBLIC SERVICE, 16 OF THOSE YEARS IN THIS HOUSE.
AND YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND ANYBODY WHO LOVES THIS INSTITUTION MORE OR HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE TO IT.
HE IS THE REASON WE ARE IN THIS MAJORITY TODAY.
[APPLAUSE]
HIS IMPACT CAN NEVER BE OVERSTATED AND I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP, HIS FRIENDSHIP, AND THE SELFLESS SACRIFICE YOU AND JUDY HAVE MADE FOR SO MANY YEARS.
YOU HELPED BUILD IT, KEVIN, WE OWE YOU A GRATITUDE.
I WANT TO THANK THE BELEAGUERED AND OVERWORKED STAFF OF THIS HOUSE.
[APPLAUSE]
THEY ACCEPT PRAISE SO STOICALLY.
BUT MISS SUSAN COLE, OUR HOUSE READING CLERK.
YES, YES.
[CHEERING]
LISTEN, ALL THE CLERKS AND ALL THE STAFF, THEY ARE TERRIBLY OVERWORKED, THIS HAS BEEN A GRUELING PROCESS BUT THEY HAVE SERVED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN KEEPING OUR REPUBLIC AND WE THANK THEM FOR THAT SERVICE.
I KNOW WE ALL DO.
[APPLAUSE]
I WANT TO THANK MY DEDICATED WIFE OF ALMOST 25 YEARS, KELLY.
SHE'S NOT HERE, WE COULD NOT GET A FLIGHT IN TIME.
THIS HAPPENED SORT OF SUDDENLY.
[LAUGHTER]
BUT WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE SOON.
SHE SPENT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ON HER KNEES IN PRAYER TO THE LORD AND SHE'S A LITTLE WORN OUT.
WE ALL ARE.
I WANT TO THANK OUR CHILDREN, MICHAEL AND HANNAH AND ABBY AND JACK AND WILL.
ALL OF OUR CHILDREN SACRIFICE, ALL OF THEM DO AND WE KNOW THAT, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PERKS TO BEING A MEMBER OF CONGRESS'S KID, RIGHT.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK ALL YOUR FAMILIES AS WELL FOR WHAT THEY ENDURE AND HAVE HAD TO ENDURE FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
WE HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE.
YEAH.
[APPLAUSE]
I WANT TO THANK MY FAITHFUL MOTHER, JEANNIE JOHNSON, WHO BORE ME AT THE AGE OF 17 AND MY BROTHERS CHRIS AND JOSH AND MY SISTER LAURA AND ALL THEIR FAMILIES AND ALL OF OUR EXTENDED FAMILY.
IN LOUISIANA, FAMILY IS A BIG DEAL AND WE GOT A BUNCH OF THEM.
ESPECIALLY THANK ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE OF THE GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA.
WE HAVE NEVER HAD A SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE HAIL FROM OUR STATE AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN LIFTING US UP.
I THANK THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOU IN CONGRESS AND HUMBLED BY YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT.
WE WILL MAKE YOU PROUD.
TO MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TRUST YOU HAVE INSTILLED IN ME.
TO LEAD US IN THIS HISTORIC AND UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT THAT WE ARE IN.
THE CHALLENGE BEFORE US IS GREAT, BUT THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW.
AND I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.
[APPLAUSE]
I WANT TO SAY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US HERE, WE HEAR YOU, WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE FACING, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY, DOMESTICALLY AND
ABROAD, AND WE ARE READY TO GET TO WORK AGAIN TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS, AND WE WILL.
OUR MISSION HERE IS TO SERVE WELL, TO RESTORE THE PEOPLE'S FAITH IN THIS HOUSE, GREAT AND ESSENTIAL INSTITUTION.

【余案：來自路易斯安那州一個小鎮的MJ，是家族中的第一個大學生。其父曾是救火隊助理長官。執勤時身受重傷，永久殘廢。當時的MJ尚未成年，衹有十二嵗。作爲長子，他曾經發願子承父業，也能成爲救火隊的首長。後來奮鬥經年直至入選國會，終於成爲家族的驕傲。可惜偏偏入職三天之前，其父過世，未能參與這樁盛事。就在國會殿堂的第一晚，MJ擡頭注意到「 LOOKED AT THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER AND SAW THE FACE OF MOSES STARING DOWN.」這大概就是引起左瘋政客衆聲喧嘩的一刻吧。人家慶祝勝利，忙著呼朋喚友，留影紀念。他卻看到天花上鎸刻的摩西像，正在俯瞰自己。這一幕，確實與衆不同。將美國政治的基督教傳統淵源凸顯了出來。MJ說：「AND I JUST FELT IN THAT MOMENT THE WEIGHT OF THIS PLACE, RIGHT.」因爲他立即意識到，儘管親人為他感到驕傲，爲此寄予厚望。但更希望他意識到美國的身處險地立法機構所面對的挑戰「BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S IN JEOPARDY.」。）
MY DAD, MENTION MY DAD WAS A FIREFIGHTER, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN MY HOMETOWN OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1984, WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD HE WAS CRITICALLY BURNED AND PERMANENTLY DISABLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
ALL I EVER WANTED TO BE WHEN I GREW UP WAS THE CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN SHREVEPORT.
BUT AFTER THE EXPLOSION ON THAT FATEFUL DAY HE NEARLY DIED AND IT WAS A LONG ROAD BACK AND IT CHANGED ALL OF OUR LIFE TRAJECTORIES.
I'M THE OLDEST OF FOUR KIDS, AND MY DAD LIVED WITH PAIN FOR DECADES MORE AND I LOST MY DAD TO CANCER THREE DAYS BEFORE I GOT ELECTED TO CONGRESS, THREE DAYS.
AND HE WANTED TO BE THERE AT MY ELECTION NIGHT SO BADLY.
I'M THE FIRST COLLEGE GRADUATE IN MY FAMILY, THIS WAS A BIG DEAL TO HIM, AND SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THAT, EARLY 2017, MY FRESHMAN TERM AND IT FELT TO ME TO BE IN THE ROSTRUM TO SERVE HERE AS SPEAKER PRO-TEM.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A BIG DEAL UNTIL I FOUND OUT THAT'S WHAT YOU DO TO FRESHMEN LATE AT NIGHT.
AND MEMORY SERVES, MISS JACKSON LEE WAS WINDING DOWN ONE OF HER LONG ELOQUENT SPEECHES, AND NOT THAT I WAS NOT EN RAPTURED BY THE SPEECH BUT LOOKED AT THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER AND SAW THE FACE OF MOSES STARING DOWN.
AND I JUST FELT IN THAT MOMENT THE WEIGHT OF THIS PLACE, RIGHT.
THE HISTORY THAT IS REVERED HERE AND THE FUTURE THAT WE ARE CALLED TO FORGE.
AND I REALLY WAS JUST KIND OF ALMOST OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION.
IT OCCURRED TO ME IN THAT MOMENT, SEVERAL WEEKS AND I HAD NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GRIEVE
MY DAD'S PASSING AND I JUST HAD THIS SENSE THAT SOMEHOW HE KNEW, AND I HAD TEARS COME TO MY EYES AND STANDING HERE AND I'M WIPING THEM AWAY AND SUDDENLY OCCURS TO ME THE LATE NIGHT C-SPAN VIEWERS ARE GOING TO THINK SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG WITH THE NEW YOUNG CONGRESSMAN FROM LOUISIANA.
IT WAS NOT SHEILA'S SPEECH, I'M SORRY.
I JUST KNEW IN THAT MOMENT THAT MY DAD, MY FATHER WOULD BE PROUD OF ME AND I FELT THAT HE WAS.
AND I THINK ALL OF OUR PARENTS ARE PROUD WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO HERE, ALL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AT ONE TIME HAD GREAT PRIDE IN THIS INSTITUTION BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S IN JEOPARDY.
AND WE HAVE A CHALLENGE BEFORE US RIGHT NOW TO REBUILD AND RESTORE THAT TRUST.
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
IT'S A BEAUTY OF AMERICA THAT ALLOWS A FIREFIGHTER'S KID LIKE ME TO COME HERE AND SERVE IN THIS SACRED CHAMBER WHERE GREAT MEN AND WOMEN HAVE SERVED BEFORE ALL OF US AND STRIVED TOGETHER TO BUILD AND REPRESERVE WHAT LINCOLN DID REFER TO AS THE LAST BEST HOPE ON EARTH.
WE STAND IN A DANGEROUS TIME.
THE OBVIOUS, WORLD IS IN TURMOIL.
BUT A STRONG AMERICA IS GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.
[APPLAUSE]
WE ARE THE BEACON OF FREEDOM AND MUST PRESERVE THIS GRANT EXPERIMENT IN SELF-GOVERNANCE.
ITSELF IS.

【余案：難怪他話鋒一轉立即點題：威脅到這個短短兩百來年偉大實踐的直接危險，不是敵國入侵，而是對這個立國根基的遺忘甚至背棄。建國先賢的理念得自聖靈「THAT SCRIPTURE, THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR THAT GOD IS THE ONE THAT RAISES UP THOSE IN AUTHORITY. HE RAISED UP EACH OF YOU, ALL OF US.」捨此，還會剩下什麽？MJ提到的「IN GOD WE TRUST」這句國銘既鎸刻在國會殿堂又展示在美元大鈔上。可惜人人熟視無睹。早就將這句話扔到九霄雲外爪窪國了。這句新議長念茲在茲的銘文，會有很多人認真看待嗎？當年立意此銘者所針對的，恰恰就是主張無神論的蘇俄共產唯物論者。惟今天甚囂塵上污染全社會的，偏偏就是認同蘇俄的左瘋政治。很諷刺吧。倒是很能理解新議長何以遭到左瘋狙擊了。】

ONLY 247 YEARS INTO THE GRAND EXPERIMENT AND DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL LAST.
WE DO KNOW THE FOUNDERS TOLD US TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT.
I WANT TO TELL ALL MY COLLEAGUES HERE WHAT I TOLD THE REPUBLICANS IN THAT ROOM LAST NIGHT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE COINCIDENCES IN A MATTER LIKE THIS.
I BELIEVE THAT SCRIPTURE, THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR THAT GOD IS THE ONE THAT RAISES UP THOSE IN AUTHORITY.
HE RAISED UP EACH OF YOU, ALL OF US.
AND I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ORDAINED AND ALLOWED EACH OF US TO BE BROUGHT HERE FOR THIS SPECIFIC MOMENT AND THIS TIME.
MY BELIEF.
I BELIEVE EACH ONE OF US HAS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN US, TO SERVE THE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY AND THEY DESERVE IT, AND TO ENSURE THAT OUR REPUBLIC REMAINS STANDING AS THE BEACON OF LIGHT AND HOPE AND FREEDOM IN A WORLD THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS IT.
[APPLAUSE]
IT WAS IN 1962, 1962 THAT OUR NATIONAL MOTTO "IN GOD WE TRUST" WAS ADORNED HERE, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE GUIDE THEY GIVE TOURISTS AND CONSTITUENTS WHO COME AND VISIT THE HOUSE, IF YOU TURN IN THERE TO ABOUT PAGE 14 IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT GUIDE IT TELLS YOU THE HISTORY OF THIS, AND SAYS VERY SIMPLY, THESE WORDS WERE PLACED HERE ABOVE US, THIS MOTTO WAS PLACED HERE AS REBUKE THE COLD WAR ERA PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOVIET UNION.
THAT PHILOSOPHY WAS MARXISM AND COMMUNISM, BEGINS WITH THE PREMISE THERE IS NO GOD.
THIS IS A CRITICAL DISTINCTION, THAT IS ALSO ARTICULATED IN OUR NATION'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
WE KNOW THE LANGUAGE WELL.
THE FAMOUS SECOND PARAGRAPH WE USED TO HAVE CHILDREN MEMORIZE IN SCHOOL AND THEY DON'T DO THAT SO OFTEN ANYMORE, BUT THEY SHOULD.

【余案：議長這裏所指的是《獨立宣言》的第二段。也就是由「We hold these truths to be self-evident……」開始的這一段落。他接下來引述了G. K. Chesterton指出的事實「AMERICA IS THE ONLY NATION IN THE WORLD THAT IS FOUNDED UPON A CREED.」他說美利堅是「世上僅有的」建基於「聖靈 CREED」之上的國度。因爲獨立宣言中所列舉的每一信條，無不具備神學般清晰（IT'S LISTED WITH ALMOST THEOLOGICAL LUCIDITY.）請注意啊，議長在這裏區分了每每遭到刻意誤讀的真言「ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL」，他强調指出：絕非生而平等「NOT BORN EQUAL」！須知「CREATED」意即「受造」。這是無神論者無從理解的根本概念。「平等」不是生物屬性。靠爹媽「生」，真是「生」不出來的。一娘生十子個個不相同。十根指頭都不一樣長短。衹有上主纔能「創造」出這個唯一屬「人」的屬性。「人」非「自然」，反之亦然。「Creationism」即「神創」。「人」因此「受造」。怎能從猴子「進化」出來？誤譯誤人誤事，貽害天下，莫此爲甚。】

G.K. CHESTERSON SAID ONE TIME, AMERICA IS THE ONLY NATION IN THE WORLD THAT IS FOUNDED UPON A CREED.
HE SAID IT'S LISTED WITH ALMOST THEOLOGICAL LUCIDITY.
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, NOT BORN EQUAL, CREATED EQUAL, AND ENDOWED BY THE SAME IN ALIENABLE RIGHTS.
LIFE, LIBERTY, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
THE CREED THAT HAS MADE US THE GREAT NATION THAT WE ARE.
AND WE ARE IN A TIME OF EXTRAORDINARY CRISIS RIGHT NOW AND THE WORLD NEEDS US TO BE STRONG, THEY HAVE NEED US TO REMEMBER OUR CREED AND OUR ADMONITION.
TURMOIL AND VIOLENCE HAVE ROCKED THE MIDDLE EAST AND EASTERN EUROPE, AND TENSIONS CONTINUE TO BUILD IN THE INDO-PACIFIC.
THE COUNTRY DEMANDS STRONG LEADERSHIP OF THIS BODY AND WE MUST NOT WAIVER.
OUR NATION'S GREATEST ALLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS UNDER ATTACK.
THE FIRST BILL THAT I'M GOING TO BRING TO THIS FLOOR IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE WILL BE IN SUPPORT OF OUR DEAR FRIEND ISRAEL AND WE ARE OVERDUE IN GETTING THAT DONE.
[APPLAUSE]
WE ARE GOING TO SHOW NOT ONLY ISRAEL, BUT THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT THE BARBERISM OF HAMAS THAT WE HAVE ALL SEEN PLAY OUT ON OUR TELEVISION SCREENS IS WRETCHED AND WRONG AND WE ARE GOING TO STAND FOR THE GOOD IN THE CONFLICT.
CATASTROPHE AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER, FROM TEXAS TO NEW YORK, WAVE AFTER WAVE OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ARE STRESSING OUR COMMUNITIES TO BREAKING POINTS.
STREETS ARE FLOODED WITH FENTANYL IN ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES, CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE DYING FROM IT.
THE STATUS QUO IS UNACCEPTABLE.
INACTION IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WE MUST COME TOGETHER AND ADDRESS THE BROKEN BORDER.
WE HAVE TO DO IT.
[APPLAUSE]
THE SKYROCKETING COST OF LIVING IS UNSUSTAINABLE AND AMERICANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HOW THEY ARE GOING TO FEED THEIR FAMILY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD GROCERIES ANYMORE.
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM SHOULD THINK ABOUT THIS.
STATS, PRICES HAVE INCREASED OVER 17% IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
CREDIT CARD INTEREST RATES ARE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN NEARLY THREE DECADES, AND MORTGAGE RATES ARE NOW AT A PEAK WE HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE 2001.
WE HAVE TO BRING RELIEF TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY REINING IN FEDERAL SPENDING AND BRINGING DOWN INFLATION.
[APPLAUSE]
THE GREATEST THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY IS OUR NATION'S DEBT.

AND WHILE WE HAVE BEEN SITTING IN THIS ROOM, THAT'S RIGHT, THE DEBT HAS CROSSED ALMOST $33.6 TRILLION AND THE TIME IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME TO DELIVER THIS SPEECH WILL GO UP ANOTHER 20 MILLION IN DEBT.
IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE.
WE HAVE TO GET THE COUNTRY BACK ON TRACK.
WE KNOW THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY TASK, AND TOUGH DECISIONS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE.
BUT THE CONSEQUENCES, IF WE DON'T ACT NOW, ARE UNBEARABLE.
WE HAVE A DUTY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO THEM SO THEY UNDERSTAND IT WELL AND WE ARE GOING TO ESTABLISH A BIPARTISAN DEBT COMMISSION TO BEGIN WORKING ON THIS CRISIS IMMEDIATELY.
IMMEDIATELY.
[APPLAUSE]
WE ALL KNOW, WE ALSO LIVE IN A TIME OF BITTER PARTISANSHIP, IT WAS NOTED.
AND IT'S BEEN ON DISPLAY HERE TODAY, RIGHT.
WHEN OUR PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR FAITH IN GOVERNMENT, WHEN THEY ARE LOSING SIGHT OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT MADE US THE GREATEST NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, I THINK WE GOT TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT VIGOROUSLY OVER OUR CORE PRINCIPLES BECAUSE THEY ARE AT ODDS A LOT OF TIMES IN THIS MODERN ERA.
WE HAVE TO SACRIFICE SOMETIMES OUR PREFERENCES BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S NECESSARY IN A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
BUT WE WILL DEFEND OUR CORE PRINCIPLES TO THE END.
AND IN HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS --THANK YOU.

【余案：毫不意外地，議長舉出列根這一好榜樣爲例來跟鄉願式的的好好先生進行切割。在列根總統的告別演説中，他解釋了自己善於跟人交往的秘訣。說自己並非「善誘THEY CALL ME THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR BUT I REALLY WASN'T THAT.」而是擇善固執。而這裏所謂的「善」，正是建國以來，歷代先賢一如既往一直執著的崇高理念（I WAS JUST COMMUNICATING GREAT THINGS. AND THE SAME GREAT THINGS THAT WERE IN THE NATION SINCE IT'S FOUNDING.）然後他更進一步列出了令美國成爲「THE EXTRAORDINARY NATION」的七項保守價值。語詞誤人華文尤甚這是又一個例證。保守永遠跟落後相連。好像保守者都是執迷不悟的守舊者。殊不知這裏所謂的「保守」恰恰就是能令美國曾經並再度「偉大」的「善」。一些質疑中國自詡的保守價值信守者，說中國從來沒有「自由」，你又能「保守」什麽呢。這樣的質疑不能説毫無道理。證之以現實，那些所謂的保守主義者常常淪爲專制極權的吹鼓手。因而不能不警惕。】

IN HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS, PRESIDENT REAGAN EXPLAINED THE SECRET OF HIS RAPPORT WITH PEOPLE AND PARAPHRASE, HE SAID THEY CALL ME THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR BUT I REALLY WASN'T THAT.
I WAS JUST COMMUNICATING GREAT THINGS.
AND THE SAME GREAT THINGS THAT WERE IN THE NATION SINCE IT'S FOUNDING.
WHAT ARE THE GREAT THINGS?
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN CONSERVATIVISM, BUT INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, LIMITED GOVERNMENT, RULE OF LAW, PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, FREE MARKETS, AND HUMAN DIGNITY.
THOSE ARE THE FOUNDATIONS THAT MADE US THE EXTRAORDINARY NATION THAT WE ARE.
AND YOU AND I TODAY ARE THE STEWARDS OF THOSE PRINCIPLES.
THE THINGS THAT HAVE MADE US THE FREEST, MOST POWERFUL, SUCCESSFUL NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD MADE US TRULY EXCEPTIONAL.
IN THIS TIME OF GREAT CRISIS, OUR DUTY TO WORK TOGETHER.
AS PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF GREAT LEADERS HAVE TO FACE GREAT CHALLENGES AND SOLVE PROBLEMS.
THE JOB OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS SERVE THE WHOLE BODY AND I WILL.
THE SPEAKER'S OFFICE WILL BE KNOWN FOR DECENTRALIZING THE POWER HERE.
[APPLAUSE]
MY OFFICE IS GOING TO BE KNOWN FOR MEMBERS BEING MORE INVOLVED AND HAVING MORE INFLUENCE IN OUR PROCESSES AND ALL THE MAJOR THINGS MADE HERE, PROCESSES AND REGULAR ORDER.
WE OWE THAT TO THE PEOPLE.
THAT'S RIGHT.
[APPLAUSE]
AND I WANT TO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT TO YOU, TO MY COLLEAGUES HERE AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE AS WELL.
MY OFFICE IS GOING TO BE KNOWN FOR TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
FOR GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF THE PEOPLE'S TREASURY, FOR THE HONESTY, INTEGRITY THAT IS INCUMBENT UPON US, ALL OF US HERE IN THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE.
OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM.
IT'S GOT A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
BUT IT IS STILL THE BEST ONE IN THE WORLD AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE IT.
[APPLAUSE]
LAST THING I'M GOING TO SAY IS A MESSAGE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS DRAMA PLAY OUT FOR A FEW WEEKS,
WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT OF LESSONS.
THROUGH ADVERSITY, IT MAKES YOU STRONGER.
AND, YEAH.
AND WE WANT OUR ALLIES AROUND THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT THIS BODY OF LAWMAKERS IS REPORTING AGAIN TO OUR DUTY STATIONS.
LET THE ENEMIES OF FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD HEAR US LOUD AND CLEAR.
THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE IS BACK IN BUSINESS.
[CHEERING]
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
WE WILL DO OUR DUTY HERE, WE WILL SERVE YOU WELL.
WE WILL GOVERN WELL, AND WE WILL MAKE YOU PROUD IN THIS INSTITUTION AGAIN.
WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S TRUE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAYS AHEAD.
I GENUINELY BELIEVE IN MY HEART THE BEST DAYS OF AMERICA ARE STILL AHEAD OF US. GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS USA. THANK YOU.