Political Quotes

“I tell folks back home that they should watch this time at 10 in the morning, where any Member can come down and talk about anything they want to talk about, because you can learn a lot about one another. There are folks who come to this floor every single morning to celebrate somebody in their district back home, to build up the country with optimism, and with the belief that if only we unite, if only we work harder, we can make tomorrow better than yesterday was. There are those Members who come to the floor on a regular basis to tear things down. I tell you, Mr. Speaker, I have been in this world for 47 years. I know it is easier to tear things down than it is to build things up. Something has happened in this institution where the currency is how quickly can you tear the other side down instead of how quickly can you partner with them to build things up. Tax reform is hard. I have a bill for folks who are uncomfortable with the elimination of special carve-outs, deductions, exemptions, and lobbyist loopholes. For folks who are uncomfortable with those things, I have a bill that repeals absolutely every one. It is called the FairTax Act. It is H.R. 25. We are not going to vote on that bill today because this institution is not comfortable eliminating absolutely everything all at once. But there is a difference of opinion, Mr. Speaker, in what the Tax Code is designed for. Is it designed to punish people that you dislike and reward people that you do like?…”