FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is set to introduce a resolution calling on President Biden to declare the month of July as “American Patriotism Month.”
The resolution, which recognizes the U.S. as the “greatest country on Earth” and aims to affirm support from the House of Representatives for the special designation for the month of July, is expected to be introduced by Texas GOP Rep. Roger Williams on Friday.
Pointing to several events and dates that are of significance to U.S. history – including July 4, 1776, when the U.S. declared its independence from British rule – the resolution expresses the importance of “patriotism” and how it has united Americans in the past.
The resolution, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital, states that “patriotism has bonded citizens of the United States of America since the foundation of our country,” adding that the “people of the United States hold a deep love for this country and have showed this through patriotic acts throughout history.”
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“The divide in our country is clearer than ever, and there is no better time to rally behind American pride,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “Throughout history, we have created holidays for many groups, but fail to adequately celebrate the patriots who made our freedoms possible.”
He added: “Any man or woman, regardless of their background, can be a patriot, and American Patriotism Month is an opportunity to remind us of the values that make our nation great. There is no reason for Biden to deny an opportunity to embrace American pride.”
Co-sponsors include: Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska, Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida, Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee, Republican Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, and Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Texas.
Also mentioned in the resolution are the events of June 6, 1944, when “over 73,000 Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy to protect democracy and liberty,” and remarks from past presidents who pushed for unity throughout the United States.
The text specifically highlights remarks from the inaugural addresses of former Presidents John F. Kennedy, who insisted that Americans should “ask what you can do for your country,” and Ronald Reagan, who said that “no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.”
Touting the “leadership of United States Presidents and the American people,” the resolution notes that “America was triumphant in the cold war against the Soviet Union and emerged as the beacon of hope for the free world.”
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Also recognized in Williams’ resolution, which has received support from the Eagle Forum, is the resounding unity in the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City. At that time, the resolution notes, “American patriots rushed to help one another, defend our country, and defend the values that as Americans we so deeply believe in.”
The resolution also praises those aboard United Airlines flight 93 on September 11, who “fought against the hijackers and saved thousands of American lives,” as well as the “181,510 Americans [who] joined the ranks of Active Duty service and 72,908 [who] enlisted in the reserves” in the year after the attacks.
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“It is because of patriotic men, women, and children throughout all of history that America is the greatest country on Earth,” the resolution states. “Patriotism is a selfless act of love for one’s country and fellow citizens.”
Paying tribute to the more than “2,000,000 military personnel who are enlisted to defend the freedoms of all Americans in a selfless act of patriotism,” the resolution also notes the significance of teaching “the younger generations about the importance of United States patriotism and loving one’s country.”
Williams’ resolution calls on Biden to “issue an annual proclamation designating ‘American Patriotism Month,'” just one day after the president went toe-to-toe with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in a heated debate.
