Political Quotes

“We rise to honor the legacy of Representative Fortney ``Pete'' Stark, who passed away on January 24. With his passing, the country, California, and the East Bay community lost a champion of the people and a leader of great courage and compassion who served in the House of Representatives for 40 years. Those of us who had the honor of serving with Pete in our California congressional delegation have all lost a dear friend. Pete was a relentless champion for universal healthcare. He had an unrivaled understanding of the challenges of America's health system. Whether it was fighting for COBRA to help working families maintain their coverage during times of financial insecurity or taking a leading role in writing the Affordable Care Act, Pete always seized opportunities to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare for all. Pete will rightly be remembered and celebrated for his commitment to fighting for those in need, particularly America's children. He fought relentlessly to improve our children's access to quality education, to protect clean air for them to breathe and clean water for them to drink, and to leave them a more peaceful world. Pete leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations of future lawmakers, and he leaves behind a wonderful family, whom he adored, who are with us tonight.…”