Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the last time as a Member of Congress. For the past 6 years, it has been an extraordinary honor to serve the residents of central and northwest Connecticut as their Representative in the House. The title for this job is a humble one: Representative--not emperor, not knower of all things, but Representative. Congress was not my dream, but making a difference was. In 2005, my then 15-year-old daughter challenged me to either run for the local town council or stop complaining. I ran. I found that I could get things done, first on the town council and then as a State representative. I came to Congress with a desire to make a difference for people, to help solve their problems, fight for affordable quality healthcare, ensure education that addresses the needs of every child, work across the aisle for better jobs and better pay for Americans, and keep us all safe and free Yet I arrived in Congress in the aftermath of the terrible shootings of 20 6- and 7-year-old children and six educators in the town of Newtown in my district, 6 years ago this coming Friday. My task immediately became how to truly care for and represent those families and be an effective voice for taking action to prevent gun violence. At the time, I did not even know how to find the elevator to get to my attic office in the Cannon House Office Building. John Dingell, the longest serving Member of Congress, took me under his wing and helped me navigate these Halls.…”