Political Quotes

“I personally thank my colleagues. It is late. People would like to go home. I understand the weariness we all feel because it has been a long and hard week. But I hope you all understand this is not just another issue. For many of us--I think for all of us, frankly--this is an issue which is the challenge of our generation. It is the challenge of our time. I was one of those Democrats who stood and applauded the President of the United States at his State of the Union Address. I thought he made a spectacular, historic commitment that the United States would lead the world in the fight against the global AIDS epidemic. He included tuberculosis and malaria. Having visited some of the Third World countries that are victimized by these diseases, I stood and applauded in heartfelt support of the President, proud to be an American and proud of what he said: $15 billion over 5 years. We came back in the Senate and we decided to authorize--a Republican majority and the Democratic minority--$3 billion this year. So this figure of $3 billion is not my creation. It is the Senate's creation. And it is a number which we ratified in July when 78 Republican and Democrat Senators said: Yes, that is what we are going to spend this year, $3 billion. Regardless of budget consequences, we will keep that commitment. So this $3 billion figure is not one I have come up with. It is one that the President came up with. It is one that the Senate came up with.”