Political Quotes

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and this is the first time I will have objected, I would like--since my name was raised and a communication of mine was read--to explain the circumstances. Yes, this is a press release that I wrote, and, yes, I do feel that the wife of this man should be released from house arrest and the man himself, the Nobel laureate, should be released by the Chinese. He has certainly served time for a substantial period, and more than that I do not believe it works to the benefit of China, the family, human rights or the progress of the country. Unlike the Senator from Texas, I have had a long experience with the Chinese, going back more than 30 years. I know what can convince them to move toward a goal and I know what will become a real stumbling block and a point of opposition. To change the name of a street on which the Chinese Embassy in the United States rests will only be a greater stumbling block to achieving this goal, so I will object to that. Since my name was also raised--or San Francisco's name was raised in his prior discussion, I would respectfully ask if I could make a few remarks about Kate Steinle and the situation the Senator from Texas has raised. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.”