As part of Breitbart’s America 250 coverage, we proudly present American Tributes. This special section showcases original videos sent to us from members of Congress, the Cabinet, and the Administration… all thematically connected by one simple premise: love of country.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) celebrated America’s 250th anniversary by reflecting on her love for Wyoming, the Declaration of Independence, and the founding principle that power in the United States belongs to the people, not the government.
“America’s turning 250 years old this year,” Lummis said in an exclusive video for Breitbart News. “When someone asks me what I love about this country, all I can do is smile. This is a great moment to be an American. I love our country, and I love Wyoming.”
The Wyoming Republican described the beauty of her home state, from “the wide open skies that go on forever” to nights where “you can still see every single star,” adding that she also loves “the long summer nights sitting outside, knowing the sun isn’t going anywhere for a while.”
Lummis said Wyoming’s character is rooted in a “sense of neighborhood” and “sense of family,” adding that in Wyoming, family “still means something” when hardship strikes.
“When somebody’s fence goes down, or there’s a blizzard, or a fire, a family hits hard times, people just show up,” she said. “No one calls a meeting about it, they just show up. That’s America to me.”
The senator also pointed to Wyoming’s rodeo tradition as an example of American grit, saying, “Our rodeos are super special, the sounds, the grit,” and added that there is “nothing more American than a cowboy climbing on the back of a bucking horse or a bull and hanging on for dear life.”
“That’s the American spirit right there,” Lummis said, noting that “the bucking horse and rider are on Wyoming license plates.”
As America marks 250 years, Lummis said one thing she loves about the country is “certainly” the Declaration of Independence, which she said was “built on an idea that all of us are created equal with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Lummis emphasized that the Declaration also reflects “that the power in this nation belongs to the people, not the government,” adding, “The people created the government, they consent to be governed by it.”
“In my office, I have a giant copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging on my wall, so every visitor who walks through my door sees it,” she said. “I see it every day when I sit at my desk, and that’s intentional, because in Washington it’s easy to forget who you work for.”
Lummis said the document serves as her daily reminder that “this country wasn’t founded by government” but by “the people who were willing to risk everything for freedom.”
“Government derives just powers from the consent of the governed, from us,” Lummis said. “That’s not a suggestion, that’s the cement of our freedom.”
The senator said the Founders “were deliberate about this” because “they were fighting a war to escape an overreaching government,” and “they were not about to build another overreaching government.”
“When we protect that principle, we protect everything else: your land, your community, your way of life,” Lummis said.
As the nation celebrates its semiquincentennial, Lummis said she wants “every American and every Wyoming family” to know that “the things you love about this country are worth fighting for.”
“This is the greatest country in the world, and none of it would be possible without the men and women who put on the uniform and answer the call to serve,” she said.
Lummis also honored servicemembers, saying, “We owe them a debt we can never fully repay, but as long as we remember their sacrifice, we honor the promise of this nation.”
“God bless Wyoming, my beloved state, and God bless the United States of America,” Lummis concluded. “Happy 250th anniversary to American independence.”
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