Political Quotes

“I would like to thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would also like to congratulate the gentleman from Utah on the occasion of his birthday and convey my warm birthday wishes to the gentleman from Utah. Despite it being his birthday, however, I have to disagree with much of what he said regarding the rule and the bill. I rise in opposition to the rule and the bill. This is an important debate that our country has had for generations with regard to State sovereignty and the role of the Federal Government. It is an ongoing discussion since the revolutionary discussions of Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton. And as the pendulum of popular discourse swings back and forth on this fundamental issue, our country has concluded without a doubt that at the very least there are certain decisions that affect the whole country and interstate commerce that cannot be made unilaterally by different States. That is true for civil rights with regard to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. It is true for immigration, which can only be addressed at a national level, and it is undoubtedly also true, as I will describe, for the protection of our environment and public health. Responsibility is fundamentally an American value, taking responsibility for your own actions. But, Mr. Speaker, cancer clusters, polluted air and polluted water don't know State boundaries.…”