07/05/2026
250 years young, and we’re just getting started.
The United States of America remains the greatest Nation in the history of the world.
I’m proud to be an American, and I make no apologies for it.
Our Nation has given me everything.
My grandparents immigrated to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to work in the iron mines. My dad attended Luther Wright High School. I became the first person in my family not only to graduate from college, but even to earn a high school diploma.
America gave me the opportunity to build a life beyond anything my family could have imagined. I raised a wonderful family, built a successful small business, served 40 years in the United States Marine Corps, flew helicopters in combat, and now have the extraordinary privilege of serving the people of Michigan’s First District in Congress.
But here’s the remarkable part: my story isn’t unique.
America has written millions of stories just like it.
The descendants of slaves have built some of the most successful businesses in the world. Children raised in poverty have become doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers, and leaders. Families who had little more than hope have built businesses, created jobs, and established legacies that will last for generations.
Only in America can so many people from so many different stories chart their own course, defy the odds, and build a better future for their children.
That’s the American promise. That’s the American Dream. And 250 years later, it is still worth defending, still worth celebrating, and still worth passing on to the next generation.
Happy 250th birthday, America.
The best is yet to come.