Sen. Eric Schmitt called on the United States Senate to return to what he described as its core responsibility of governing and legislating for the American people, warning that failure to act on key issues could further erode trust in the nation’s institutions.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Schmitt referenced the public’s expectations for the chamber, saying Americans still look to it as a body capable of acting in the country’s interest.

“Americans still love Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for a reason,” he said.

“They still want to believe that the Senate, a uniquely American invention, can be used for the common good.”

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He said that belief is tied to the idea that conviction can overcome cynicism.

“They still want to believe that conviction can defeat cynicism,” Schmitt said, adding that Americans expect leaders to “fight for his country rather than merely manage its decline.”

Schmitt said the Senate has an opportunity to demonstrate that those expectations are not misplaced.

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“Well, here is our chance to prove that hope is not foolish,” he said.

He rejected the idea that the Senate should operate as a passive institution focused primarily on process.

“The Senate is not a museum,” Schmitt said.

He added, “It is not a Visiting Angels retirement village for proceduralism.”

Schmitt also argued that the chamber’s responsibilities extend beyond confirming nominees and passing large spending bills.

“It is not here merely merely to confirm nominees,” he said.

“The United States Senate is here to legislate in defense of the American people.”

He outlined what he sees as the Senate’s central duties.

“The Senate is here to draw lines,” Schmitt said.

“The Senate is here to make judgments. The Senate is here to govern.”

Schmitt then framed a series of questions about the direction of the chamber.

“So the question for this chamber is really simple, are we here to govern or merely preside?” he asked.

He followed with, “Are we here to act for the people or simply explain why action is impossible.”

He also raised concerns about how power is exercised.

“Are we here to use power rightly,” Schmitt said, “or merely to congratulate ourselves for the restraint while the country pays the price?”

Schmitt pointed to several issues he said reflect broader challenges facing the country.

“Because the stakes here are plain,” he said.

“We see distrust in elections.”

He continued by describing additional concerns.

“We are seeing girls told to accept injustices as progress,” Schmitt said.

“We are seeing children offered up to the altar of extreme ideology.”

Schmitt also criticized what he described as a lack of decisive action from those in positions of authority.

“We are seeing a governing class that refuses to draw any line until the line has already been erased,” he said.

He warned that republics tend to weaken gradually rather than collapse suddenly.

“And republics don’t usually fall in one dramatic stroke,” Schmitt said.

“They weaken when truth is no longer defended.”

He continued, “They weaken when citizenship is deluded.”

He added, “They weaken when institutions lose the will to govern.”

Schmitt also described what he sees as a disconnect between leaders and the public.

“They weaken when elites ask ordinary people to live under conditions they themselves know are disordered,” he said.

He concluded that the broader debate is about whether the country remains committed to its founding principles.

“That is what this debate is really about,” Schmitt said.

“It’s about whether the country still defends first principles.”

He also tied his remarks to the Senate’s role in using constitutional authority.

“It’s about whether constitutional power can still be used for the common good,” he said.

Schmitt noted the approaching milestone of the nation’s 250th anniversary as a moment requiring renewed focus on governance.

“And as America approaches her 250th birthday,” he said, “that question becomes even more urgent.”

He said the country should demonstrate its continued ability to function as a republic.

“A republic approaching its quarter Millennium should not be content merely to remember greatness,” Schmitt said.

“It should show that it stills know how to govern it still knows how to govern itself.”

He added that the nation must demonstrate its ability to uphold key responsibilities.

“It should show that it still has the strength to defend citizenship,” Schmitt said.

He continued, “It should show that it still has the courage to defend women, it should show that still has the decency to defend children.”

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