A newly elected Republican lawmaker, Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., has introduced legislation reaffirming the Declaration of Independence, a move he said follows a congressional tradition of marking major national anniversaries with the founding document.

Recommitting to Founding Principles

Van Epps told Fox News Digital that he filed the bill in response to socialism’s rise in the Democratic Party, with the far-left attempting a major power grab ahead of November’s midterm elections. He specifically referenced a slate of socialist candidates poised to serve in Congress after winning primaries in deep-blue districts.

Van Epps argued that these candidates’ views are antithetical to the founding principles of the United States. He stated that socialism, Marxist, and leftist ideas have failed every time they’ve been tried in the history of the world and are not America at its core.

Promoting American Pride

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., also put the Declaration of Independence on the floor in the Senate, where it easily passed. Schmitt’s goal was to reinvigorate Americans’ pride in their country, which he contended has steadily declined over the years.

Both Schmitt and Van Epps agreed to put forward companion legislation after playing in the annual Congressional baseball game ahead of America’s 250th birthday. The legislation aims to remind Americans of the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the principles it embodies.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.