On Constitution Day, Grassley Calls on Americans to Reflect on the Blessings of Freedom

Floor Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa Senate President Pro Tempore “Recognizing Constitution Day” Thursday, September 17, 2026 VIDEO Today is Constitution Day. On September the 17th, 1787, 39 delegates,,,signed the [United States Constitution]. They set forth an experiment rooted in American exceptionalism: government authority comes from “We the People,” the first words of the preamble to the Constitution. The United States Constitution is the only founding document of any country in the history of humankind that’s meant to protect the people from the government. Other constitutions throughout history were written to give the government power over the people. That’s why the United States is unique, and that’s why we continue to say that the United States is an exceptional system of government. There are some in this country who want to fundamentally change the U.S. Constitution. In recent months, there’s an organization within the Democrat party that call themselves “the Democratic Socialists of America.” Their document wants to abolish the Senate. That document would uproot our system of checks and balances. That system would rip up our Constitution and draft a new one—particularly when some of them are saying they want a parliamentary system of government like other countries, particularly in Europe, have. The Democratic Socialists of America is antithetical to America’s promise of prosperity and the founding principles enshrined in our great Constitution. The United States Constitution is now 239 years old this very day, and the principles it embodies are timeless. On this Constitution Day, September the 17th, it’s my hope that Americans of all ages will reflect upon the blessings of freedom handed down from one generation to the next. -30-