Political Quotes

“I rise in honor of our outgoing Congressional Black Caucus chairman, Congressman Reverend Emanuel Cleaver. Chairman Cleaver has been a truly outstanding leader of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 112th Congress. We were fortunate to have his wisdom and steady--mind you, steady--leadership as we have navigated through some of the most contentious debates that I have witnessed during my time in Congress. Faced with a job crisis unlike any that we have seen in recent history, Chairman Cleaver instituted a very successful job initiative. With unemployment at record levels, with three to four unemployed persons for every single job opening, with 50 million in poverty, and with unemployment disparities like none we have ever seen, he understood that it was extremely important not only to talk about the need for jobs but to take action to bring jobs to the people, and that's exactly what Chairman Cleaver and the Congressional Black Caucus did with last year's jobs tour, by launching jobs fairs in districts across the country, and we actually connected people with real jobs. Chairman Cleaver also helped lead the fight against the efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters. He has been a strong advocate for protecting the most vulnerable among us in ensuring that the social safety net stays in place and in pushing for a budget that is balanced and fair.…”