Political Quotes

“let me say, as I did when this legislation originally came before the Senate a month ago, that I fully support the disaster relief that is being provided here. My heart goes not to the families that have lost their homes, their businesses, and their schools in the recent floods and snows. We have all seen the devastation on the evening news, in the newspapers. It is tragic, and we owe it to the people in the Midwest and elsewhere to put the full resources of the Federal Government behind the relief effort to help them get on their feet as soon as possible and restore some sense of normality to their lives. Mr. President, the relief in this bill is urgently needed. So are the provisions that would prevent another shutdown of the Federal Government this fall. It seems to me that we are taking the very responsible step of acting now to prevent another shutdown of the Government--something President Clinton says he, too, wants to prevent. Yet the President is threatening to veto the disaster relief, of all things, on account of the antishutdown provisions. Why would a President who says he opposes Government shutdowns threaten to veto a bill that would prevent Government shutdowns? I will tell you why.…”