Political Quotes

“this is my first opportunity to address this body, so this is a special day for me. For the past 8 years, I have been in and out of this Chamber any number of times as Governor of Delaware and chairman of the National Governors' Association. I have never had the opportunity to sit down in one of these seats or to speak at one of these podiums. One of the great things about being Governor is you get to be part of the National Governors' Association. There is a strong history there of Democrats and Republicans, and one or two Independents as well, to actually work together, to reach across the aisle and to find consensus, not just occasionally but routinely. One of the aspects I liked most about being Governor was that every day you came home you felt good because you had gotten something done. Some of us previously served together in the House for awhile. I can remember any number of times going home on the train to Delaware feeling frustrated, not just 1 night or 1 week but maybe months, because we hadn't gotten enough done. We hadn't really met what was expected of us by the people who sent us here. I suspect, for people outside this body, the action we are endorsing today will have a relatively little consequence or seems to be of little consequence. But the agreement that has been struck is an agreement of real consequence, not just for those of us working here in the years to come but I think a real consequence for our Nation.”