Political Quotes

“I am here tonight to pay tribute to one of the most outstanding Members that the United States House of Representatives has ever had; that is Sidney R. Yates of the 9th Congressional District in the State of Illinois. Sid Yates is retiring this year after 48 years in the House of Representatives, 24 terms. It would be an even 50 years if he had not been selected by the Democratic Party of Illinois in 1962 to run against the then Republican leader of the United States Senate Everett McKinley Dirksen. In 1962, he ran against Dirksen in a very spirited hard-fought race, which he unfortunately, from our perspective, lost 53 to 47. For the 2 years he was gone from the House of Representatives, he served as the United States representative to the United Nations. He returned in 1964 to resume his influential position here in Congress. Sid Yates is the product of immigrant parents. His parents were born in Lithuania, and Sid was born here in this country shortly after his parents arrived. He also has 3 brothers that were born here in this country. Sid Yates has served on the Committee on Appropriations just about his entire career here in the House of Representatives. He also served on the Committee on Foreign Operations for many, many years. He has a law degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.”