- 5/14/2025
On Wednesday, Sen, John Curtis (R-UT) delivered his maiden speech on the Senate floor.
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00:00Mr. President, having been a United States Senator for exactly 131 days, I'm attempting
00:10to follow the advice of my great-grandmother.
00:14We're very proud of her.
00:15She was the first woman school board president of the Salt Lake City School District.
00:21Grandma Genevieve, we called her Nana, she said, listen first, speak when it matters,
00:29and let your actions carry the weight.
00:34That may sound like it's radical in our social media-driven world here in DC, but I'm committed
00:41to following her advice.
00:44As began my service in the Senate, it matters to me that both what is said and what is done
00:50in this body will not just make noise, but will actually make a difference for the citizens
00:58of the nation.
01:00Ten days ago, I invited the citizens of Utah and the nation to join me in my preparation
01:07for this maiden floor speech today.
01:10I invited them and all of you to join me virtually and go places that speak to the heart and the
01:17soul of this nation.
01:20I visited four places where our bedrock strength and enduring principles are found and where
01:28I believe our bold future will begin.
01:32I've called it my Think Before You Speak, a pilgrimage to American principles tour.
01:41I began my journey with a hike to Enzyme Peak.
01:45It's a small hill just above the Salt Lake Valley.
01:49It's where my pioneer ancestors went to talk about pioneer values and visions.
01:57Just after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, my pioneer ancestors climbed that very peak,
02:03where what they saw there wasn't what was, but what would be.
02:09They looked out over a barren desert, and I'm talking not hardly a tree in the Salt Lake Valley.
02:18They envisioned a home for faith and family and a crossroads, not just for the West, but
02:25for the world.
02:27President Gordon B Hinckley, who's a pioneer descendant and a leader of the church, once reflected
02:33on that moment atop Enzyme Peak.
02:36He said, if a reporter had been there that July morning of 1847, they would have scoffed
02:43at the idea.
02:46Imagine this, a ragtag group of exiles, driven from their homes, standing in worn out boots
02:53that they'd walked a thousand miles in, nearly a thousand miles away from the nearest settlement.
02:59They were in an untried climate, they'd never raised a crop there, they'd not built a structure
03:05of any kind.
03:07What were they thinking?
03:09Well, they didn't just dream.
03:13They came down from that peak and went to work.
03:17As I stood at that summit, I had a strong wind against my face, and I couldn't help
03:23but think of my pioneer ancestors who faced those same winds with much heavier burdens.
03:30I saw them pushing forward with courage and faith, laying the foundation for the life we
03:37now enjoy.
03:39From that height, up there on the hill, I couldn't see beneath the green canopy.
03:46That same place where there was hardly a tree now had a green canopy.
03:50But even though I couldn't see it all, I knew the secret to Utah's success.
03:56And if you've been there, you know it too.
03:59It's the people.
04:01People known for their kindness, for their hard work, their resilience, their independence,
04:07and for their deep, abiding faith in God.
04:12The spirit that built this place is still alive.
04:15And it calls us all to be what our pioneer ancestors need us to be for the generations
04:22they saw.
04:25We don't get everything right in Utah.
04:29But we've built something remarkable.
04:32A strong economy, fiscally responsible government, educational opportunities, and real upward mobility.
04:41Those aren't accidents.
04:44Washington could use a little more inside peak thinking and a lot more pioneer doing.
04:53My listening tour next took me to Hollow Ground.
04:59When I visited Arlington National Cemetery, I found myself drawn to reading the names and the
05:07words on those white stones, Korea, World War I, World War II, Vietnam.
05:17And where names should have been unknown, unknown, unknown.
05:24And occasionally, strangely, on the back of the markers, names like Ruth, Ethel, Alta, and
05:32the words, his wife.
05:35I paused and I tried to hear the voices of those who rest in that sacred ground.
05:42What would they say to me, to us, U.S. Senators charged with safeguarding the Constitution and
05:49the freedom they gave their lives to defend?
05:55Sometimes those voices whispered gently.
05:59But sometimes they speak with striking clarity.
06:03And never, ever do they ask my political party.
06:07Those honored dead don't care if future generations have the latest gadgets or a life of ease.
06:14But they do care deeply that those generations have souls.
06:19Souls with the strength forged by doing hard things.
06:24Those that cherish freedom, pursue peace, and carry their moral courage to stand for
06:29what's right.
06:31They remind me that the Constitution was not just a clever document.
06:37It was and remains divinely inspired.
06:42President Ronald Reagan said,
06:44Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit.
06:52Those who rest beneath the white stones at Arlington didn't die just so Americans could live free.
06:59They died so that freedom could take root wherever the human spirit longs for it.
07:06Their legacy isn't just national.
07:09It's universal.
07:12Their sacrifice calls us to something higher.
07:17Two headstones right next to each other caught my attention.
07:22William W. Kirby and William W. Kirby Jr.
07:27The father had fought in World War I and lived 85 years.
07:33The son fought in World War II and died in combat, earning the Purple Heart at age 20.
07:42Then it hit me.
07:43Family.
07:44Family.
07:45I recognized that families fight for freedom.
07:49As Americans, we should all stand at Arlington as if we lost our son, our daughter, our wife, our friend.
08:00Because we have.
08:02Our honored dead are indeed our brothers and sisters.
08:05So let's remember, we honor best those who have gone before by standing for freedom today.
08:17I walked into the Holocaust Museum alone.
08:20But if you've been there, you know I wasn't alone.
08:23I was surrounded by thousands of young Americans.
08:28And I found myself wondering, do they see what I see?
08:33Or do they see without seeing and hear without understanding?
08:38This place forces us to confront the darkest chapters of human history and ask whether we've really learned the lessons.
08:48When I walked the halls, I was struck by how easily a human life can be devalued.
08:54And I kept asking, how?
08:56How did so many participate?
08:59How did others stand by?
09:02How did some serve to enable?
09:05And how have so many already forgotten?
09:10The late rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sachs, once identified both the problem and the solution when he warned,
09:18When morality is outsourced to either the market or the state, society has no substance.
09:27Only systems.
09:29And systems are not enough.
09:31Today, we're outsourcing more than just governance.
09:35We're outsourcing responsibility.
09:37Congress outsources lawmaking to the executive branch.
09:42Communities outsource compassion to agencies.
09:45Parents outsource teaching values to institutions.
09:49Citizens outsource critical thinking to curated social media.
09:53And far too often, we outsource the truth itself to voices that might be loud, but not always wise.
10:04Rabbi Sachs also said, morality cannot be outsourced because it depends on all of us.
10:13The Holocaust Museum reminds us that truth, like morality, must be studied, not streamed, learned, not assigned, and understood with the weight of history, not just the opinions of the moment.
10:30The values our nation needs.
10:31The values our nation needs, moral clarity, historical understanding, a commitment to peace, can't be manufactured by government or mass produced by culture.
10:40They must be grown like they always have been in the cottage industries of family and communities.
10:49For my fourth visit, I went to the National Museum of African American History and Culture because I believe unity starts with understanding.
11:01And like many Americans, I wasn't raised with first-hand experiences of the injustices faced by black Americans, Native Americans, and others who have endured the heavy burden of prejudice.
11:14But I have come to understand that listening and learning are not one-time acts.
11:21They require humility, honesty, and a lifetime commitment.
11:29As I walked through the museum, I found myself thinking of and hearing the voices of my dear friend and former colleague, Congresswoman Mia Love.
11:41Mia broke barriers as the first black Republican woman elected to Congress.
11:47She used her voice to lift and to call us all to be our better angel.
11:53And now she is one.
11:56At her funeral, her children read a final message she had written to the nation, words that deserve to be remembered.
12:05Mia wrote,
12:07Some have forgotten the math of America.
12:11Whenever you divide, you diminish.
12:15The goodness and compassion of the American people is a multiplier that simply cannot be measured.
12:23She reminded us that America's greatness doesn't come from uniformity.
12:28It comes from unity.
12:31At a time when division too often drives out decency, Mia's words offer a roadmap back to our shared purpose.
12:42Not based on race, status, or party, but on the simple truth that we are all Americans.
12:50My visit to the African American Museum also reaffirmed something I deeply believe.
12:57That as long as bigotry, discrimination, and unfair treatment still exist, we cannot claim to be united.
13:07To fully heal somehow, America must learn the delicate dance of leaving things behind, and at the same time, never forgetting them.
13:21Easy to say, hard to do.
13:24And together, we must do it.
13:27For her courage and conviction, her voice, her vision for America, Mia absolutely belongs in the African American Museum.
13:35And even more, in the hearts of every American.
13:39Well, thank you for joining me on that journey.
13:42We could spend days discussing the principles of each of these locations.
13:46If we did, I'm afraid I'd be on this floor longer than my good friend Cory Booker.
13:51I do want to thank my Senate colleagues and so many citizens who have shared their lessons from these sacred places,
14:01and I want you to know your insight will guide my service.
14:06Now, in the very short time I've had to travel my state since becoming a senator,
14:11I've felt something clear and consistent.
14:14Citizens want President Trump to be successful.
14:18Citizens also want Congress to work, not just show up, not just argue.
14:23They want us to succeed.
14:25And I've said many times, I want both the President and this institution, the Senate, to be wildly successful.
14:34Sometimes that desire requires us to be wildly honest.
14:40Something that I think we'll all agree we could use a little more of in Washington, D.C.
14:45The way I see it, the odds of Congress delivering real results for the American people go up dramatically
14:52when we start telling each other the truth.
14:55Not just behind closed doors, but out in the open, where the public can see what I believe is their right to know.
15:02Honest policy conversations on issues that are vital to the fundamental of our future matter more than ever.
15:10I've spent most of my time in Congress focused on four major priorities that I believe deserve a fresh and honest look from all of us in the Senate.
15:22The first, energy.
15:25So let's be honest.
15:27It's time we talk more openly about the importance of clean energy.
15:33Consumers are asking for cleaner, more responsible energy choices.
15:38At the same time, we need to be realistic about the demands of powering a modern nation.
15:44Affordability matters.
15:46Reliability matters.
15:48And we must protect, not surrender, our energy independence.
15:52President Trump has put America back on the right path when it comes to energy.
15:57I'm also convinced that a healthy economy and a healthier environment are not mutually exclusive.
16:06I actually believe they're compatible and inseparable.
16:10The simple truth is, Americans want energy that is more affordable, reliable, and cleaner.
16:16And they deserve honest, common sense policies that deliver all three.
16:22Number two, our local communities.
16:25All right, my colleagues from the East, bear with me.
16:28It may be hard to grasp just how deeply federal overreach affects daily life in Utah.
16:35Think about this.
16:38In some counties, over 90% of the land is owned and controlled, not by local leaders and communities,
16:47but by a distant federal government.
16:50That's not theoretical.
16:51It's daily life for most of us in the West.
16:56I often say that the best environmentalists in the world are Utah's farmers and ranchers.
17:03By the way, they hate when I say that.
17:06But we live closest to the land.
17:08We know it, we care for it, and we depend on it.
17:12We don't want to be managed.
17:14We want to be trusted.
17:16We want stewardship, not control.
17:19I look forward to working with President Trump to restore local control and stewardship over the land we love.
17:26Number three, China.
17:29For decades, we've operated under the hope that bringing China to the economic table, even as they stole our intellectual property, cheated on labor practices, and manipulated trade, would somehow lead them towards democracy.
17:45Let's be honest.
17:47It hasn't.
17:48In fact, they've moved further away from our values.
17:52This isn't just about trade or technology.
17:55It's about national security, economic freedom, and a commitment to the rule of law.
18:00We need fact-based policies with meaningful and measurable consequences.
18:05It's time to protect the American dream, not subsidize the Chinese one.
18:14Four, debt and deficit.
18:17Okay, here is some wildly honest, equal opportunity offender talk.
18:23We, and I mean we, Democrats and Republicans in this body, are not being honest with the American people when we pretend that Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare don't need reform.
18:37And we are equally dishonest when we weaponize fear, telling seniors and the most vulnerable that reform means abandonment.
18:46It doesn't.
18:47It never has.
18:48If we act now, we can protect those most in need, preserve programs for future generations, and avoid harsher consequences of doing nothing.
18:59It's time to deliver sensible solutions and real results, rather than just plain politics.
19:05Utahns understand thrift, accountability, and the value of doing hard things.
19:12It's time Congress caught up with that wisdom.
19:15Here's our choice.
19:18We can have an honest conversation about these challenges now, or we can be the ones who will have to deliver the devastating,
19:25draconian, harmful cuts that will inevitably come if we don't.
19:31So yes, I'm convinced that honest conversations, received with humility, are what will make us truly successful in the United States Senate.
19:41And our success as a nation depends on each of us, and all of us, in this chamber, being unflinchingly honest and working together to make America wildly successful.
19:54Now, hang in there.
19:56I'm almost done.
19:57I have to point out one more thing.
19:59Fortunately, the Senate has provided each of us something to remind us of all the principles I've shared today.
20:07What is it?
20:09The tradition of awarding pins to members of the Senate began in 1965.
20:15At first glance, these pins seem little more than a way for security to wave us through security.
20:22But as my colleague, the senior senator from Utah, likes to joke, his pin is his sorry senator pin.
20:30When Senator Lee was first elected, he may have looked just a little bit more like a page than a senator.
20:37Whenever security stopped him, he'd simply point to his pin, and the guard would inevitably reply,
20:43Sorry, Senator, come on in.
20:48Maybe it's my years in the jewelry business, but this little pin means much more.
20:54Do you know it's crafted from 14-karat gold, the jewelers' favorite.
20:59Pure gold, though beautiful, is too soft.
21:03It bends under pressure.
21:06But 14-karat gold has the right balance, beauty with strength and practicality.
21:13It's a fitting symbol for our role here, strong, balanced, and practical.
21:19Each morning, as I fasten the pin to my jacket, the gold reminds me of the standard we should uphold.
21:26And the tiny diamond?
21:29In the industry, we call it a canardly diamond.
21:33Wait for it.
21:35That means you can hardly see it.
21:39But even the smallest diamond reflects light.
21:43That sparkle reminds me daily of our responsibility to radiate the light of truth.
21:50To be guarded not by partisan squabbles, but by simple truth.
21:55I encourage all my colleagues to occasionally pause and examine your pin.
22:00At its heart, the official Senate seal.
22:04Rich with symbolism, peace and strength.
22:07Freedom, protected by law.
22:09Authority, tempered by responsibility.
22:12All guided by the light of truth.
22:16And the words, e pluribus unum, to remind us of unity.
22:22And that familiar image, sticks, bound together.
22:26Which, by the way, it was my great-grandmother, Jenny Curtis, Nana,
22:32who established that bundle of sticks as the Curtis family's pioneer symbol.
22:37A reminder that we are stronger when bound together in unity.
22:44I hope that each of us, as individual senators, and all of us collectively, as the United States Senate,
22:53will strive to uphold the values reflected in this tiny, yet powerful symbol.
22:59Principles that have made Utah strong and America extraordinary.
23:06Mr. President, with lessons learned from the principles found in important locations and sacred sites,
23:14let us commit to the values that unite us as a nation.
23:19To my colleagues and friends, I hope you see these principles not just in historic places,
23:25but in the spaces you walk and work every day.
23:30Together, we can pursue a vision for America that continues to be as bold and audacious as our beginning,
23:38while delivering dignity, freedom, and opportunity for all.
23:46Thank you, Mr. President. I yield back.