Political Quotes

“Mr. President, no one wins in a shutdown--not Republicans, not Democrats, and certainly not the people of Hawaii or Americans across the country. I have been here for three previous shutdowns, in the majority and in the minority, and I have seen the same thing over and over again. Shutdowns don't work. The government eventually reopens, and neither side has accomplished a single thing. No one wins, but Americans have a lot to lose. Millions of Federal workers, including military personnel, will be forced to work without pay. Children most in need will lose access to food and early education programs. Tens of millions of people can't get care at community health centers. The food that we eat will go uninspected. Relief for disaster- stricken communities will grind to a halt. Loans for small businesses will not get processed. Seniors will have to wait to get new Medicare cards. Travelers will face the risks of more delays. We have the ability and the responsibility to prevent all of this unnecessary pain and disruption, which is why, Tuesday and today, the Senate has a solution. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to advance a bipartisan bill that will keep the government open. Look, this is not the Civil Rights Act. This is not that big of a legislative accomplishment. It is a 47-day stopgap measure to prevent a really ridiculous, terrible thing from happening. But we do need to pass it.…”