Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleague from New Jersey for this amendment. It is an amendment that is critically important to New Jersey, to Alaska, and to the State of Illinois because the Menendez-Casey amendment in my State means that 14,500 teachers, firefighters, and policemen will stay on the job. If the Menendez amendment--which is part of President Obama's jobs package--does not pass, these people will be out of work. There will be more kids in the classroom, talented teachers will be laid off, there will be fewer cops on the beat in small towns and large, and firefighters will have to cut back in terms of their ranks and we need their protection. We can't let that happen. Senator Menendez has an amendment which deals with this responsibly. It pays for it. It doesn't add to the deficit, and that is where the objection comes in from the Republican side of the aisle because he pays for it by asking those making over $1 million a year to pay about one-half of 1 percent more in taxes, and the Republicans say: No way. We cannot ask the wealthiest people in America to pay one penny more. To me, it is hard to explain why we would want to deny our children a quality education, lay off teachers, make our streets a little less safe with fewer police, and run the risk of fewer firefighters because we don't want to ask people making over $1 million a year to pay one- half of 1 percent more on their taxes.…”