Political Quotes

“I thank Chairman Smith for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I listened to this debate and heard so many things that are simply misunderstandings or maybe just intentionally telling things that aren't true. When I was growing up, my mom used to ask me: ``Is it going to take an act of Congress for you to clean your room?'' She would say it all the time. ``Is it going to take an act of Congress for you to clean your room?'' I didn't know what she meant because I thought my room was pretty clean. What she meant is: Is it going to take the Earth, wind, stars, and mountains all moving in order for you to act? Mr. Speaker, this has been 40 years of treating people differently, discriminating against a certain set of workers. These are police officers, teachers, firefighters, and other public servants. Mr. Speaker, I worked side by side with these folks. They are not people who are overpaid. They are not people who are underworked. Think about the crime issue, the defund the police issue, the safety of our communities. Police officers are integral to our State. They are integral to our Nation. We need to treat them fairly, respectfully. That means not treating them differently and discriminating against them and their benefits. Teachers are the ones who train the next generation. Firefighters-- who are you going to call when your house is on fire? These are the very people whose benefits we are cutting. Mr.…”