America’s Independence: July CEO Update
"For the last 250 years, America has sacrificed to preserve the unalienable rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence."
In a letter to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776, John Adams stated: “I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this Declaration…yet through the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory.”
For the last 250 years, America has sacrificed to preserve the unalienable rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence. We have become a better, freer, and more prosperous nation. As I celebrated our nation’s 250th birthday at Mount Vernon with my family, I was reminded that we are blessed to be citizens of the greatest country on earth.
Be sure to check out our latest “This Week in American History” video, where I discuss the Declaration of Independence and what it means for us all these years later.
Going all the way back to the debates and compromises at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, one of the bedrock principles of our nation is civil discourse. That’s one of the topics we discussed at the recent Adolph Coors Foundation 50th anniversary celebration.
One of the speakers was Charles Mitchell, current CEO of the Open Discourse Coalition and former CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, a wonderful ALEC partner. His work goes hand in hand with what we do at ALEC: foster civil debates on major issues and work towards what Speaker Newt Gingrich calls the 80% issues—issues that see widespread support, such as keeping more of what you earn, giving our children a great education, and keeping our communities safe and elections secure. While ALEC members may not always agree on the best way to achieve our policy solutions, I’m proud that we can amicably disagree and still work together for the good of the nation.
Sadly, while we were celebrating civil discourse in Colorado, at least 11 states—all blue states—confirmed they would not send an official delegation to the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.: Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Pennsylvania. The very notion that any state would boycott such a grand and historic event to celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial is heartbreaking. However, in a glowing display of bipartisan cooperation, Pennsylvania’s two U.S. Senators—Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat John Fetterman—worked together to secure private-industry sponsors for the commonwealth’s booth. Now Pennsylvania, which played a critical role in America’s struggle for independence, will be well represented at the fair thanks to two leaders putting aside their partisan differences to simply celebrate America.
If you want to see open debate and civil discourse in action, then join us at our Annual Meeting in Orlando July 22-24! Lawmakers and private sector partners from around the country will be discussing our over 90 model policy submissions on issues ranging from data centers to ballot harvesting and much, much more. We are just days away from this historic meeting, and you won’t want to miss it.
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Common Sense Comeback: The Freddy EffectAs we celebrate America 250, soccer fans from around the world have flocked to North America for the World Cup. One of the most incredible parts of this year’s tournament has been watching tourists from across the globe experience America’s beauty and hospitality.Take Freddy, the Germany soccer fan and X sensation: throughout his road trip, he’s been hosted by locals from Baton Rouge to Boston, enjoying the country’s best sports venues and local eateries. All the while he has praised his American hosts who have treated him and his friends to the best of the nation on his journey. Consider also fans from Japan who have a habit of cleaning after themselves in host stadiums, citing the Japanese maxim: “A bird leaves nothing behind.” Or the Scottish visitors who have been cited for their fun energy and polite manners. This is just a small sampling of the amazing fans from around the world who are experiencing the incredible American hospitality and culture. As we celebrate our nation’s 250th, we’d be wise to look at America through their eyes, without the biased lens of the mainstream media. America is the greatest nation on earth, and its people are the best. Look no further than a few young soccer fans from all four corners of the globe to see why. |
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As we gear up for our Annual Meeting, we’ve also been traveling across the country, continuing to meet with local members and hosting policy academies. We’re now halfway through 2026 and our team has been to 35 states!
In June, we also hosted four legislator academies across the nation: our Blue State Academy in Chicago; the Tax Policy Academy in Rapid City, SD; the Life Sciences Academy in San Diego; and the Judiciary Academy in Cour d’Alene, ID. Just seven years ago, ALEC hosted its first academy—and now, we’re hosting 15 each year!
If you haven’t attended one of our many worthwhile academies, reach out to your legislative liaison for more information.
See you in Orlando!