Last week, we marked the 228th anniversary of the signing of our United States Constitution. As we paused to reflect on the meaning of this remarkable document, we were again reminded of its vital purpose and the nation that our framers envisioned.

Signed on September 17, 1787, during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Constitution is a revered document that enshrined our freedoms as Americans and created the nation of laws that we know today. Our founding principles of liberty and limited government have made this country a beacon of freedom here at home and across the world.

Virginia’s own James Madison, the first member of Congress elected to serve Virginia’s Fifth District in 1789, is known as the Father of the Constitution. His influence was unparalleled in the debating, adoption and ratification of this document that has served as the American blueprint for freedom.

Our founders crafted a Constitution with limited and enumerated powers for each of the three branches of government. Under our Constitution, Congress makes the laws, the president executes the laws and the judiciary settles legal disputes in a way that protects the Constitution and the constitutional rights of our citizens.

Unfortunately, over time, we have seen this system slowly erode.

It is our job as members of Congress to work within the framework our Constitution established and make policy that adheres to the principles it enshrines. 

Robert Hurt represents Lunenburg County in the U.S. House of Representatives. His website is hurt.house.gov. He can be reached at his Farmville office at (434) 395-0120.