Political Quotes

“it was interesting to see the Senator from Pennsylvania get very emotional about the fact that we would--Senator Grassley and I and Senator Harkin--limit the taxpayer payments to individual executives who are Federal contractors to the pay of the President of the United States. First of all, I am not sure he understands our amendment. We only limit the taxpayer portion of their pay. If they work in the private sector, that is up to the shareholders to determine, No. 1. No. 2, the Senator from Pennsylvania says, ``My God, if we cannot get these executives into these defense firms, these high-paid executives, our national security is at stake. We better pay them more, much more than the President of the United States.'' Let me just say, what about the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? He is a Federal employee. I do not hear people coming in here and recommending that his pay be raised. What about the person who is the head of the FAA? What about the air traffic controllers? We have people in the Federal Government who risk life and limb, but we are here today hearing the committee defend executives in fancy offices in big firms who contract with the Federal Government.”