Political Quotes

“Mr. President, chairing the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was a highlight of my Senate career. I was impressed by Judge Jackson's dignity and grace, her intellect and courage, and her dedication to the Constitution. I was also happy that every Senator was able to invite guests to attend the hearing. It was the first time the Senate welcomed visitors since the pandemic closed the Capitol building 2 years earlier. Among my guests were two women who drove 11 hours from Chicago, with four other people in the car, just to be in the room for the historic occasion. One of the women was in her 70s and had worked for civil rights causes for 50 years. She said that as she watched Judge Jackson make history, she thought of all the strong Black women who came before and helped make that moment possible. Leaders like Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, my old friend, the Rev. Willie Barrow, a Black woman minister from Chicago who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Another name she could have added to that list of history-shaping women is Billie Jean Paige. Billie was a legend and an inspiration in politics in Chicago and Springfield. And my wife Loretta and I were fortunate to be able to count her as a good friend of many years. She passed away earlier this year. Her last name was spelled P-A-I-G-E. If that sounds familiar, it could be because it is the same spelling as the legendary baseball player Satchel Paige.…”