Political Quotes

“You know, I am hearing Republicans blame Democrats, Democrats blame Republicans, people blaming the President, but you know, I have great respect for the intellectual abilities of everybody in this body, my colleagues on both sides. And I think you all know--I certainly know, Mr. Speaker--that the American people blame all of us for this dysfunction and for the Federal Government closing. Of course they blame the President, of course they blame Republicans, and, yes, they also blame Democrats. Yet here we are continuing to play into the worst fears and partisanship of the American people, rather than talking about the path forward. I think we all know what the issues are that separate us, and they are not that great. Of course we want to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program. We heard that from both sides. Let's figure out the plan to do it. Of course we want to fix deferred action because the President has canceled the program in March, and we want to find a way to rise to that challenge, to find a way that aspiring Americans can stay here and work. Let's do it. The budget caps and the timing are very important. I understand that Republicans want to spend more on the military than many Democrats do. And I have been a constant supporter of trying to find resources that we don't need in our defense and direct them other ways. Let's compromise and find a way to do it, but let's not do it while the government is closed.…”