Political Quotes

“I also rise today with the bittersweet task of saying farewell to my trusted partner for the State of California, Senator Laphonza Butler, as her tenure here in the Senate with us comes to end in the coming days. You may recall that just over a year ago, Senator Butler was appointed to serve alongside me here in the U.S. Senate. I remember it vividly. In just a matter of days, she received a call from Governor Newsom, accepted the appointment, traveled to Washington to take the oath of office, and introduced herself to the Nation. That alone is a tall task for anyone--imagine--to be called upon on such short notice to serve a State of nearly 40 million people--but it is another thing entirely to be asked to also, in the process, fill the shoes of the legendary Senator Dianne Feinstein, a titan of California politics and the U.S. Senate, who served with such honor and dignity and grace for over three decades, not to mention that she carried on her shoulders the fate of a narrow Senate Democratic majority. It literally rested on her appointment and willingness to serve. But as I think back and reflect on that moment in her decision to say yes, it takes a trailblazer to fill the seat of a trailblazer. And Laphonza Butler was certainly no stranger to high stakes.…”