Political Quotes

“Mr. President, it is Thursday, and as you know, it is one of my favorite times of the week. The Presiding Officer has the good fortune of listening to a number of the ``Alaskan of the Week'' speeches when I get to come down to the floor--typically every Thursday--to talk about a person or group of people who are doing great things for my State. As I said, so many of my colleagues here--even some of the reporters--know this is the person we call our Alaskan of the Week, but sometimes we call them our Alaskans of the Week. This week, we are going plural in a big way. This week, we are recognizing an entire community for how this community--the whole community--banded together to literally help save a young child who was sick and needed medical attention. Before I get into the story, let me say that, in Alaska, community is everything. Living in one of the most magnificent places in the world is not without its challenges. We depend on each other. Communities often come together to help each other. Typically, in our rural communities, traditional knowledge is critical and so is hard-won ingenuity and determination to overcome many of the challenges in living in the great State of Alaska. I would like to transport you to one of those communities. It is the village of Igiugig in Southwest Alaska. Rich in Native traditions, Igiugig is home to around 70 year-round residents, growing to over 200 in the summer months.…”