Political Quotes

“last Friday I had a meeting in Chicago with about 50 in attendance. It was Friday morning, and we gathered groups of people from across the city of Chicago and the State of Illinois who were focusing on one make-or-break issue for many of us. It was an emotional issue, one that caused many to break down in tears as they told me their stories. It is the reason I have come back to the floor of the Senate today and every day since the election to talk about one specific issue that I believe is important for this Nation to reflect on. Mr. President, 16 years ago a young lady contacted my office. Her name is Tereza Lee. She had been brought to the United States from Korea at the age of 2. She had grown up in Chicago with a family of modest means. During the course of her childhood, she signed up for what is known as the Merit music program in Chicago. They offered free instruments and free musical instruction to kids from low-income families. It is a great program. Tereza Lee signed up, and it turned out she had an extraordinary talent at piano. When she came to contact my office, it was as she was leaving high school and applying to be accepted at the best music schools in the America--Juilliard in New York and the Conservatory of Music in Manhattan. She went to fill out the application, and when it came to a question of her citizenship and nationality, she wasn't certain what to put. Her mother suggested that she call our office, and she did.…”