When we read through history books and celebrate heroes of the past, we often make the mistake of thinking that those who came before us were different from us.

They weren’t. In fact, our nation’s earliest citizens confronted many of the same challenges and weaknesses that we wrestle with today.

Earlier this week, as our nation came together to celebrate Presidents’ Day, I was once again reminded of the type of leadership it took for our first president, George Washington, to shepherd our fledgling nation.

This #PresidentsDay, we remember the charge George Washington gave to “We the People.”
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— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) February 16, 2016

George Washington was a president who truly understood that we, the people, should be trusted and empowered to make our own decisions. I believe Americans today are crying out for the same type of leadership our founding citizenry demanded and our first president embodied. This is because for several decades now, the executive branch has effectively bypassed the legislative process and, thus, diminished the voice, and power, of the American people.

Americans across this country are rightly frustrated, which is why House Republicans are working on a bold, forward-looking agenda focused on restoring the “We the People” mandate in our Constitution. As we face an overreaching, top-down federal government that thinks it “knows best,” returning the power to the people — through our elected representatives — is more critical now than ever. Congress by its design is the most direct voice of the people, and I believe we must preserve its proper role in government through Article 1 of our Constitution.

As we continue our work on this, I’ll be building upon action I recently took in the People’s House reaffirming our commitment to return decision-making to American families and individuals — because that’s where it belongs.