Political Quotes

“this is a poison pill proposal designed to kill campaign finance reform. Pure and simple. But what is amazing about what the Republicans are doing here tonight is that it is anti-American, that it disregards States rights, that it is an intrusion into the privacy of American citizens. Just a little while ago we voted with the Republicans to deny the right to spend one dollar to help a senior citizen to the polling place on Election Day. Now we have a proposal that would say voters have to present a Social Security number and card and proof of citizenship. Well, all of this is undermining the voting rights of all of our citizens and, of course, the Voting Rights Act that so many fought and even died for. What are my colleagues on the other side doing? Are they taking us back to the time that many of us know too much about? Literacy tests? Poll tax? Well, some of us and our forefathers have been in this struggle. They have been in this fight to get rid of that kind of discrimination and marginalization and denial. Some of us even joined to help our friends in South Africa against national ID, known as pass laws. We are not going back there. Mr. Chairman, if this is some attempt to kill the bill, let me just tell my colleagues this. It does not matter whether or not they are able to convince people on this floor to vote for this kind of anti-American proposal. We will beat them in the courts on this, because this is unconstitutional.”