Political Quotes

“I stand to strongly support my amendment No. 4312, which I introduced today, along with Senators Gregg, Cornyn, Enzi, Alexander, and Hutchison, and I urge all of my colleagues, both sides of the aisle, to support this commonsense amendment. This is about something at issue in this present extenders bill on the floor now that is near and dear to my heart, because it is directly related to the ongoing oil disaster, the ongoing crisis in the gulf, and that is an increase in taxes to supposedly fund the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund but which does not do that at all, which is stolen from that trust fund, used for completely unrelated purposes. Put another way, it is double counted. It is used as a fraudulent offset to mask other spending, other deficit spending in the bill. We have a real crisis on our hands. Obviously it affects my State more than any other. But it is a national challenge and a national crisis. I have a pretty modest suggestion, in my opinion. Let's focus on the challenge. Let's meet the challenge, not use it and abuse it politically for other unrelated goals up here in Washington. But I am afraid the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is being used and abused in this bill for those other completely unrelated goals. I am afraid it is a perfect example of Rahm Emanuel's now famous phrase from around February 2009, 'We are not going to let a good crisis go to waste.' Well, this is a crisis. This is a whopper.”