Political Quotes

“in my office here in the U.S. Capitol, which is a few steps away from this Chamber, I have behind my desk a credenza. On that credenza is a document that is dear to me and my family and really defines who I am. It is my mother's naturalization certificate. Despite all the speeches you hear on the floor about immigrants, we are a nation of immigrants, and my mother was an immigrant from Lithuania to the United States, brought here at the age of 2. Her brother and sister were with her on that boat, and her mom was bringing them along. They went from Lithuania to Germany and then took the ship to Baltimore, eventually catching a train that took them to what they considered to be the land of opportunity, my hometown of East St. Louis, IL. That is my story. That is my family story. It is an immigrant story, and I am proud of it. There were problems with immigration throughout our history. But there is also an opportunity with immigration which we have taken advantage of over and over and over again. We are a nation of immigrants.”