Obama proclaims Constitution Day

President Obama declared Monday Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, beginning an observance of the U.S. Constitution's 225th anniversary, a statement said. Obama encouraged local and state leaders to commemorate Constitution Week with civic ceremonies and programs designed to reflect on the importance of the document that has guided the United States "from a fragile experiment in democracy to a beacon of freedom that lights the world," the U.S. Defense Department said in a release. The president also welcomed new citizens taking their oaths Monday. "Our American journey and our success would never have been possible without the hope, the drive and the irrepressible optimism that every generation of immigrants have brought to our shores," he said in the statement.