Political Quotes

“it is hard to imagine that the U.S. Congress was once guarded by a lone watchman, but when the legislative branch of our government moved from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, that was the case. His name was John Golding. He was charged with protecting the U.S. Congress. A generation later, after several incidents, President John Quincy Adams asked that a Capitol Police Force be created. It was created with four officers working 15-hour shifts. Today, there are over 2,000 officers and civilians who work for the Capitol Police. When you put it in perspective, 3 million to 5 million people from all over America and all over the world come to this building complex each year to personally witness the foundation--at least on the congressional side--of our democracy. We want to make certain they are safe. We know we live in a dangerous world. The threats facing Congress today are far different than at the time of John Golding. Our exposure to risk is higher, as we learn every day and every week about horrible shooting incidents that occur. One, of course, did occur in the Capitol not that many years ago. We know we have the best protection possible in this increasingly dangerous world thanks to the dedicated, talented, and committed men and women of the Capitol Police Force. There is an important reason why I have been able to do my job as the Democratic whip for 14 years. It is because R.D.…”