Today, planning for the Fourth of July often involves divvying up who is bringing what to the family cookout. Or figuring out the best spot in town to see a patriotic fireworks display.

Nearly two-and-half centuries ago, planning for the Fourth of July involved the drafting of a declaration to present to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. This revolutionary document was published on July 4, 1776, and our new nation was born.

As we gather with friends and family to celebrate the Fourth of July, we should remember that the struggle for freedom was neither swift nor easy. General George Washington had to defy formidable odds and the strength of the world’s mightiest empire before finally achieving victory at Yorktown in 1781. His unwavering commitment to the cause of liberty illustrated the perseverance of America’s early visionaries, who risked their lives to launch an unprecedented experiment in representative government.

A System of Limited Power

Today, perseverance is still needed against the abuse of power – a threat our forefathers sought to quell by devising a government with three separate branches. This system of checks and balances has recently been used to stop some of the Obama Administration’s most flagrant attempts to misappropriate executive power.

For example, the Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court ruling against the Administration’s unilateral efforts to grant legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants. The high court has also suspended the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of costly rules to limit carbon dioxide emissions. In Congress, the legislative branch has used its control over federal funding to check executive overreach, such as cutting spending for agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and EPA.

Protection of Individual Rights

One of the most famous lines Thomas Jefferson wrote in our Declaration of Independence is the God-given right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Unfortunately, since Roe v. Wade more than four decades ago, tens of millions of unborn children have been denied the right to life because of abortion. I have been a champion for the rights of the unborn throughout my career and will continue to fight for the protection of life and women’s health.

The same vigilance is needed to uphold and protect the freedoms set forth in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Although adopted more than a decade after the Declaration of Independence, these basic principles, such as the “free exercise” of religion and the “right of the people to keep and bear arms,” evoke the call for liberty that spurred U.S. independence.

These defining rights are as important today as they were for Americans in the early years of our republic. No matter the politics of the day, we are heirs of an extraordinary legacy and have a responsibility to see that it continues to grow and thrive. As John Adams wrote after the resolution for independence was approved, “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” Happy Independence Day!

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution authored by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., commemorating the 50th anniversary of James H. Meredith’s “March Against Fear” during the civil rights movement. The measure, cosponsored by Senator Thad Cochran, R-Miss., recognizes the historical significance of Meredith’s 220-mile walk down Highway 51 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi.

“In June 1966, James Meredith did something truly courageous, playing a powerful role in Mississippi’s progress during the civil rights era,” Sen. Wicker said. “Transformative events like the ‘March Against Fear’ merit the highest recognition. Our nation is better because of fearless individuals like him, who were willing to pioneer change 50 years ago.”

“James Meredith’s bravery and determination remain an inspiration to this day,” Sen. Shaheen said. “His historic ‘March Against Fear’ was a clarion call for justice and equality. It is a fitting tribute for the U.S. Senate to honor his tremendous contributions to advancing civil rights.”

“I am pleased the Senate is commemorating the 50th anniversary of James Meredith’s March Against Fear and his role as a historic leader in the civil rights movement,” Sen. Cochran said. “I commend Senator Wicker on his leadership to call attention to this historic event.”

Four years after becoming the first African-American to enroll at Ole Miss, Meredith planned a march in June 1966 to challenge the fear that dominated the daily lives of African-Americans in southern states. One mile south of Hernando, he was shot three times by attempted-assassin Aubrey James Norvell. While Meredith recovered, the march he launched continued to Jackson, resulting in thousands of African-Americans registering to vote.

Meredith later returned and finished the march at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. Approximately 15,000 people joined him at its conclusion, making it the largest civil rights demonstration in the history of the state.

The resolution reads as follows:

Recognizing the historical significance and the 50th anniversary of the “James H. Meredith March Against Fear,” a 220-mile walk down Highway 51 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi.

Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States, in Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race violates the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;

Whereas in the years following Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), some Southern States, including the State of Mississippi, continued to uphold racial segregation;

Whereas, in 1962, the first African-American integrated the University of Mississippi (referred to in this preamble as “Ole Miss”);

Whereas, in 1965, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), which passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by President Lyndon Johnson, prohibited racial discrimination in voting;

Whereas, in 1966, 4 years after integration, the first African-American student at Ole Miss planned a 220-mile march from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi (referred to in this preamble as the “Meredith March Against Fear”) –

(1) to challenge the fear that dominated the day-to-day lives of African-Americans in the Southern United States, specifically in the State of Mississippi; and

(2) to encourage the 450,000 unregistered African-Americans in the State of Mississippi to register to vote and to go to the polls;

Whereas, on June 5, 1966, the historic Meredith March Against Fear began at the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, Tennessee;

Whereas the self-reliant and determined leader of the Meredith March Against Fear carried no food, clothing, or sleeping bag, and was joined only by a small number of African-American supporters and Whites from the North;

Whereas on reaching the border between the States of Tennessee and Mississippi, the marchers were greeted with hostility;

Whereas, on June 6, 1966, the Meredith March Against Fear continued south along United States Highway 51 through DeSoto County toward the town of Hernando, Mississippi;

Whereas 150 African-American men and women greeted the marchers at the town square in Hernando, Mississippi;

Whereas the visit of the marchers to Hernando, Mississippi, embodied the purpose of the Meredith March Against Fear, “to explain [to African Americans] that the old order was passing, that they should stand up as men with nothing to fear”;

Whereas, on June 6, 1966, about 1 mile south of Hernando, Mississippi, the leader of the Meredith March Against Fear was shot 3 times by an attempted assassin;

Whereas, on June 7, 1966, national civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Floyd McKissick, and Stokely Carmichael, resumed the Meredith March Against Fear while their leader recovered from the attempted assassination;

Whereas, over the next 3 weeks, the marchers weathered violence and tear gas, but accomplished what the Meredith March Against Fear set out to accomplish;

Whereas voter rallies and drives along United States Highway 51 resulted in more than 4,000 African-Americans registering to vote;

Whereas the Meredith March Against Fear featured many African-Americans defying the intimidation of hostile Whites;

Whereas, on June 25, 1966, the leader of the Meredith March Against Fear, along with 125 allies, resumed the march from the Canton, Mississippi, courthouse, located 15 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi;

Whereas the number of marchers doubled to approximately 250 by the time the Meredith March Against Fear reached the city limits of Canton, Mississippi;

Whereas 1 mile north of Tougaloo College, the marchers were met by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and hundreds of additional followers;

Whereas hundreds of supporters were led through the iron-rod gate at the main entrance to the Tougaloo campus in Jackson, Mississippi;

Whereas, on June 26, 1966, the Meredith March Against Fear concluded with a walk from Tougaloo College to the Mississippi State Capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi;

Whereas approximately 15,000 individuals attended the climactic conclusion of the Meredith March Against Fear, making it the largest civil rights demonstration in the history of the State of Mississippi; and

Whereas the self-sufficiency and resolve that motivated the Meredith March Against Fear made its leader a revolutionary and a powerful figure in the history of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate –

(1) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the “James H. Meredith March Against Fear”;

(2) recognizes the discipline and focus required to complete the James H. Meredith March Against Fear during the most contentious decade in the Civil Rights Movement to encourage African-Americans to defy intimidation and register voters; and

(3) acknowledges the significance of the James H. Meredith March Against Fear.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today signed a letter clarifying that federal law does not require states and schools to adhere to a new transgender directive issued by the Obama administration.

Signed by 25 Senators, the letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Education Secretary John B. King, Jr. states that the administration has no legal justification to dictate to the nation’s public schools which restrooms, locker rooms, and showers transgender students may use.  The administration late last week issued transgender guidelines to schools and threatened to withhold federal funding to schools and states that do not adhere to the guidance.

“As I have stated before, these are local issues best decided by those who live in our communities,” Wicker said.  “A clear understanding of the law shows that the Administration does not have the authority to act like a National School Board.  It is wrong to threaten to withhold federal funding from schools that choose to handle this matter in their own way.”

“This another example of federal overreach by the Obama administration that should be challenged.  State and local officials are best equipped to make decisions regarding student facilities in a practical, safe and respectful way,” Cochran said.

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.  It stresses that the “guidance” issued to schools lacks the force of law.  It also points out that the Senate rejected similar transgender mandates amendment to the Every Student Achieves Act last year.

“Every transgender person is someone’s child and should be treated with respect.  But that does not justify a federal executive agency acting as a national school board telling 100,000 public schools how to resolve this issue,” the letter states.

It goes on to say, “It may be appropriate for the U.S. Department of Education to answer questions or issue guidance about its opinion of the existing law.  But federal law does not require states and school districts to follow that guidance.  Until Congress or the courts settle the federal law, states and school districts are free to devise their own reasonable solutions.”

The following is the full text of the Senators’ letter:

Dear Attorney General Lynch and Secretary King,

Every transgender person is someone’s child and should be treated with respect.  But that does not justify a federal executive agency acting as a national school board telling 100,000 public schools how to resolve this issue.

Deciding which bathroom, locker room, or shower transgender students should use is the kind of issue the states, parents, school boards, communities, students, and teachers should work out in a practical way with a maximum amount of respect for the individual rights of the students who are transgender as well as the rights of those who are not.  If the solutions developed by states and communities violate the equal protection guarantees of the U.S. Constitution or federal civil rights laws, federal courts are available to protect students’ rights.

It is not appropriate for a federal executive agency to issue “guidance” for every school as if it were the law. Article I of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the exclusive right to make laws.  In some cases, executive agencies may issue regulations, but these regulations must be authorized by law and are subject to strict procedural requirements.  The Supreme Court, Congress and the Obama administration itself all have made clear that such guidance does not have the force of law.  This issue involves circumstances that were never envisioned by existing laws.  During Senate debate last year on the Every Student Succeeds Act, an amendment was offered to do, by statute, what the administration is now trying to enforce in guidance as if it were the law.  The Senate voted not to adopt the amendment.

It may be appropriate for the U.S. Department of Education to answer questions or issue guidance about its opinion of the existing law.  But federal law does not require states and school districts to follow that guidance.  Until Congress or the courts settle the federal law, states and school districts are free to devise their own reasonable solutions.

In addition to Cochran and Wicker, the Alexander letter was signed by Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.),  Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mon.), Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tim Scott (R-S.C), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.).

WASHINGTON – The Senate has unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution authored by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., in support of 4-H and its recently-launched “Grow True Leaders” campaign. The measure, which is cosponsored by 34 senators, recognizes the immeasurable benefits of the national 4-H program for young people and its potential growth under the new initiative.

“4-H plays an important role in shaping the lives of young people in Mississippi and across the country,” Wicker said. “Historically, the organization’s nearly 6 million members typically hail from rural areas of America. I am impressed with the incredible strides that 4-H has made in our rural communities and encouraged that 4-H is expanding into the nation’s urban centers and suburbs, significantly growing its outreach. I look forward to helping facilitate the growth of True Leaders, giving students a place to learn and exercise valuable leadership skills.”

“For over 100 years, 4-H has nurtured young leaders in rural America – and it had a huge impact on me growing up. Now, 4-H programs supporting civic engagement, science education, public speaking, and more are moving further into urban and suburban communities as well,” Heitkamp said. “As a fellow 4-H’er, I know personally that these programs make a difference in students’ lives, and I continue to hear about the opportunities 4-H provides for young North Dakotans around our state. With 4-H expanding, I’m proud to honor this national program for its work to grow the next generation of leaders in local communities across the country.”

The 4-H movement supports young people through programs designed to shape future leaders and innovators, particularly in rural communities. Last week, 4-H launched a campaign called “Grow True Leaders,” which seeks to replicate 4-H’s success in rural communities in urban areas. The program’s new initiative hopes to reach a broader, more diverse population, impacting more African American and Hispanic children.

In addition to Senators Wicker and Heitkamp, cosponsors of the resolution include Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Boozman, R-Ark., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Bob Casey, D-Pa., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Chris Coons, D-Del., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Steve Daines, R-Mont., Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Cory Gardner, R-Colo., James Inhofe, R-Okla., Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Angus King, I-Maine, Jeff Merkley, R-Ore., John McCain, R-Ariz., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Gary Peters, D-Mich., Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tom Udall, D-N.M., and David Vitter, R-La.