Political Quotes

“when I first came to the Senate, I was asked to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I considered it quite an honor. It is an extraordinary committee with a rich history of involvement in some of the most important issues of our time, and that has been the case for generations. Recently, when it was reformed, I was asked on which subcommittee I wanted to serve. I chose the Immigration Subcommittee. I took it for two reasons. First, I am a lucky American. My mother was an immigrant to this country. She was brought here at the age of 2 from Lithuania. Her mother, who brought her, didn't speak English, but my mom was a pretty smart little girl. She spoke English and Lithuanian, and she was the translator for the family. They even called her into a courtroom as a little girl to translate for a person who was being charged so that they understood the law. My mother was an extraordinary woman. She had an eighth grade education, but was one of the smartest people I have ever known. I guess that is a son talking, but you might expect it. I often thought I was lucky that she lived long enough to see me sworn into the U.S. Senate. This immigrant girl, who became an American citizen, saw her son become the 47th Senator from the State of Illinois. That is my story. That is my family's story. That is America's story. That is who we are. We are a Nation of immigrants.…”