U.S. Congressman August Pfluger came to Brownwood Monday to award East Elementary with the Blue Ribbon School Award. This is a national school award recognizing academic excellence across all K-12 schools in America. Pfluger gifted East Elementary School books from the Library of Congress for their library. He also gifted the school an American flag flown over the capital. He gave this flag to Christi Burks (Principal of East Elementary) Jennifer Gwathmey (Assistant Principal of East Elementary), and Dee Dee Wright (Former Principal East Elementary, now the Principal of Northwest Elementary).
Congressman Pfluger came to speak to the Fifth grade class at East Elementary and recognized their teachers Jason Adams and Taylor Gdovin. Pfluger gave the Fifth grade class lessons on American government, the Constitution, his role as a U.S. Representative, and their rights as citizens.
Congressman Pfluger explained how different opinions from the Founding Fathers brought together the Constitution. But there was a common idea to form a more perfect union. “To me, one of the most important things about our country, is that all these people came together, the Founders you might hear, or the Framers of the Constitution, and they debated back and forth…and they were very passionate about their points of view. But what they agreed upon was a constitutional republic,” explained Pfluger.
Congressman Pfluger talked on how the government is split up between local, state, and federal government and how he, a federal representative, casts vote on behalf of Brown County, Tom Green County, Midland County, and others that he represents.
Pfluger explained the Amendments in the Constitution, how many there are, and what they represent for the people. “240 years and we’ve only had 27 Amendments. That’s amazing. That shows the brilliance of the founders, and what they decided to write and do,” said Pfluger
Pfluger early on opened the floor to the students to ask questions and talk with them about the Constitution and the government.
As one student read off the First Amendment, Congressman Pfluger explained what that means for us. “The press can’t be told by the government what to do,” Pfluger explained to the students. “If you think that something is not fair, then you can protest! Or you can say ‘I don’t think that is fair.’ Did you know that you can go to Washington D.C. and stand in front of the White House, and you can say, Mr. President or Madam President…I don’t agree with you.”
He discussed with the students about peaceable assembly and rightful protest is their rights as citizens and the government cannot tell them otherwise. But, if they threw a brick in a window, then they have broken the law and that is not okay. “So, the First Amendment has things that are protected, and things that are not protected.”
Congressman Pfluger walked them down the Bill of Rights and asked students why it is so important to us. “So is the government in charge? Or the people in charge?” Pfluger asked. The students responded, “the people.”
Then Pfluger let the students ask him about D.C. and the role he has played as our representative. The students already had questions to ask that they had previously prepared for our representative. Here are a few of them:
What process did you do to become a congressman?
“First I had to start a campaign, that is the process of telling people who I am and why I believe I would be good at this job, and why they should vote for me…When I was doing the campaign three years ago, I would come to Brownwood, I would talk to the radio, and I would go meet with people,” said Pfluger. “People went to the polls, and they voted, and that’s when I was elected to go to congress.”
How is your job important to the people?
“When the framers of the constitution said, ‘we are going to have a legislative branch’ and that legislative branch will have a house of representatives… [and a senate], we are responsible to the people; of, by, and for the people,” said Pfluger. “We are responsible, and I come to Brownwood, and people will tell me what they think, and sometimes they’re not very happy. They say, ‘we want you to go to Washington and pass this.’ And sometimes they are happy. But it’s important because it gives people a voice.”
Pfluger walked them through why states have two senators and differing numbers of representatives based on population. Pfluger also explained bills that he introduced, and which one he got signed into law, and which ones he voted on that were successful. He discussed the preliminary age for a representative, and they are only elected every two years. “You know what is cool about that? If you’re not doing a very good job after two years, well [they’ll] find somebody who will do a good job. That’s the beauty of the system.”
Why do you do this job?
“I do it because I love this country,” said Pfluger. “If you complain about things that are going on…or want to see a change in something, well stand up, and try to do it. That was why I decided I wanted to do it.”
What is the process for a bill?
Pfluger did an exercise with the students. He asked if they should get free ice cream on Fridays (of course they said yes). As they figure out what the parameters of this “bill” will be, the students agreed teachers should pay for the Friday ice cream. How they mark the level of importance of a bill, determines its number, and what it is about determines what committees the bill goes through. If it gets passed in committee, it will go to the House floor and needs a majority vote to pass. Then it goes to the Senate, needs a majority vote, and then goes to the President to sign into law.