Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, the ranking member, Mr. LoBiondo, for his yielding, and also for the excellent job. There is no one more dedicated to the United States Coast Guard than the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo). He loves, works, breathes, just exists to assist the United States Coast Guard. I am very proud of that dedication he exhibits. And also I have to compliment Mr. Oberstar, my partner. We have probably one of the greatest challenges of any of the teams that serve in Congress. We have the largest committee in Congress, great deal of jurisdictional areas and none that we enjoy working on more than the United States Coast Guard. These are some fantastic Americans, one of the major service organizations of the United States, and sometimes I think the least recognized. And we have been blessed with great leaders, Thad Allen. He came just at the right time, inherited so many problems, I can't even begin to spend tonight enumerating the problems. I think he came on duty about the same time I became the ranking Republican, and I would get his calls. And he always handles every situation so professionally. We have been blessed as a Nation to have leadership in the Coast Guard like that, Thad Allen, now Admiral Papp. And poor Thad Allen, just when he thought he was about to retire, just at the end of his watch and service, we, of course, had the incredible disaster in the gulf.…”