Political Quotes

“This Chamber, this body here at the Federal level, is simply the wrong venue, the wrong place, to be discussing this issue of Common Core Standards. If the gentleman and others are interested in making sure that their States or their districts don't adopt them, they need to run for State House, they need to run for Governor, they need to run for State board, State superintendent. This body here, the Federal Government, has absolutely nothing to do with Common Core Standards, nor should we have a role in trying to prevent States from working together, which symbolically this amendment does. I think it's great that my State and a number of others have taken advantage of economy in scale to prepare good college and career-ready standards. I think it's terrific that States like Virginia and Minnesota, outside of the working group of Governors, have come up with their own core standards for college and career-ready that are different but also high standards. There's different ways to get there. And again, if any folks in this Chamber feel passionately about that, they ought to run for a different office because it's not this body that decides on standards. I think it's the wrong reason to come here and try to force any particular standard down any State's throat. Very clearly, I think it's great some States are working together. My State is among them. It is very important that we don't have a race to the bottom with regard to standards.…”