the very idea of america that we're all created equal, ento you by our creator with certain inail nabilly to. state the obvious, no one knows it better than this one, we've never lived up to that idea, but we've never walked away from it fully. we've never walked away. in his sermon to the march in washington, dr. king called on all america to live up to the full meaning and promise of our declaration of independence, and so we stand here in perpetuity, in timely and timeless conversation that inspires us and challenges us, reminds us how far we've come, where we need to go and how far -- how much longer the journey is. it's a conversation that shapes our days and that we must carry forward. mad a.m. vice president, madam speaker, the chair of the black caucus, congressional black caucus members and members of faith and community, windchill distinguished guests, from here he see the ongoing push and pull between progress and struggle over the self-evident truths of our dem and in our nation we now face anfrequention point and the battle literally for the soul of america and it's up for