Sen. Rick Santorum issued the following statement on the Fourth of July:

On this weekend of celebration and relaxation with our friends and families, we all should take a moment to honor and thank those who came before us and who sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy the liberties and freedoms that we too often take for granted. America is more than a country, it is an ideal and an aspiration for all that we are as a people and all that we can be. From our forefathers who sacrificed at Valley Forge to our heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is because of their courage and sacrifice that we can continue to celebrate our independence as a free and virtuous people. It is because of them that we can say Happy Independence Day.