Cephas honors 250 years of the American experiment at historic PA House session at Congress Hall
Remarks call for continued fight to ensure freedom for all Pennsylvanians
Rep. Morgan B. Cephas September 10, 2026 | 2:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 10 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia, spoke in recognition of 250 years of American independence yesterday at the historic PA House session at Congress Hall. In her remarks, Cephas celebrated the Semiquincentennial while emphasizing the ongoing work to ensure freedom, equality and opportunity as realities for every Pennsylvanian.
“We must remember not to treat this anniversary like a celebration of something finished, but be reminded that our founders themselves called it an experiment,” said Cephas. “We know the Constitution was written next door, but here in Congress Hall is where it was put to the test. The Bill of Rights was ratified in this building. The first peaceful transfer of presidential power happened on this floor. This is where the experiment actually ran. And it is no small thing that I am standing here today. Because the founders wrote that all men are created equal. And then we spent the next 250 years figuring out who they actually meant.
“There has always been a lag, a gap between when freedom is promised and when it actually reaches people’s lives. That lag runs through our entire history of this country.
“The experiment keeps running. But the lag keeps happening. But so does resistance. Every generation has confronted those lags and refused to accept them as permanent. All of them hold America to its own standard, and now it is our turn.
“Let us celebrate how far we have come, and let us be honest about the work that remains. That is the freedom to access the ballot box, the freedom to access quality healthcare, the freedom to a living wage, the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water, the freedom to a quality education, the freedom to give birth in a country that does not treat it as a death sentence. 250 years later, that is the assignment, to ensure the promises of the experiment are kept and expanded.”
Video of Cephas’ full remarks is embedded below.