Political Quotes

“Let me thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding, but I also want to commend him for his many years of excellent service to this body that we know as the United States House of Representatives. And I want to commend him for the tremendous leadership that he provides as the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Speaker, it is December 7, and Republicans still have not enacted legislation to protect the millions of Americans hardest hit by one of the worst economic crises in our Nation's history. The well-being of 6 million Americans, including 100,000 from my home State of Illinois, hangs in the balance. Our Nation is in an unemployment crisis, and we must act now to help our citizens. At this time last year, Republicans emphasized that the economy was so horrible that the wealthiest Americans needed 2 years of tax cuts, yet they only saw the need to help the unemployed for 1 year of emergency assistance. Now, 1 year later, as the emergency assistance runs out, Republicans remain comfortable with the $180 billion in tax breaks for the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans, but they cannot support $50 billion in 2012 to help millions of the neediest Americans--and never mind any consideration of helping the millions of Americans who have exhausted their Federal benefits and still can't find a job. Our Nation, yes, is indeed in an unemployment crisis.…”