Political Quotes

“I stand ready to assist in the final passage of this earthquake disaster assistance package. I know what disasters are all about. All six of the counties in the 16th Congressional District of Illinois were under water last summer. I especially appreciate the willingness of the Appropriations Committee to add $750 million to complete the job with previous disasters, including the Midwest floods. This legislation once again only shows the necessity to prioritize Federal spending. I applaud the bipartisan spirit among those who came up with the spending cut amendments, especially those from the freshman class. Last year, I voted 151 times to cut $127 billion in lower priority Federal spending. A mere fraction of that amount could have paid not only for this bill but previous disaster assistance packages. It's time to go forward with your pledge to find ways to pay for future emergency relief packages. I am willing to work with you and the administration in a cooperative, bipartisan spirit toward that end.”