Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, it is a great honor to be back in the well of the House that I revere and where memories I cherish occurred. I am grateful for the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress for the recognition of the work I did for our great group of formers. There is a common thread that links those of us who have served in this House and the Senate: public service. The strictly bipartisan programs of the FMC are intended to reach broad audiences about our commitment to public service. I found as a Member of Congress that I possessed two things that could not be diluted: my vote and my word. I was entrusted with a vote to represent the values of approximately 700,000 constituents. That vote belonged to the people of my district and was not intended to be controlled by the President, congressional leadership, or an interest group, and my word needed to be trusted by my colleagues. Our Article I responsibilities obligated us to form alliances within and outside party affiliations. Bipartisanship is the glue that binds our unique form of democracy.”