Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I know my colleague, Senator Harkin, will be on the floor momentarily to speak about the Food Safety Modernization Act. I wish to preface my remarks by thanking him personally. Tom Harkin has been not only a great colleague and friend, he has been such an exceptional leader when it comes to this important issue. It is no surprise for those of us who know Tom Harkin's congressional and Senate career. He has always been an extraordinary leader. The Americans with Disabilities Act, which literally has changed the face of America and opened doors for the disabled across our Nation, is not only one of the most dramatic steps forward when it comes to human rights and civil rights in my time, it was led by Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa and Senator Robert Dole, Republican of Kansas, who then served in the Senate. So Tom Harkin has been our conscience and our leader when it comes to issues involving safety, human rights, and expanding the reach of freedom in our Nation to those who otherwise might have been denied. I will tell you why I am passionate about the food safety issue. It goes back to a note I received as a Congressman. It was almost 16 years ago. It was a note from a woman who did not live in my congressional district. She was from Chicago and I was 200 miles away. Her name was Nancy Donley, and she told the story of her 5- or 6-year-old son Alex. She brought some hamburger home from the local grocery store to fix it for her son. She made his dinner.…”