Political Quotes

“Madam President, shortly we are going to be having three votes. One vote will be on the budget for our current fiscal year that began on October 1 and ends on September 30 of this year. I think we have talked about that vote at some length. I took the floor yesterday and explained how the negotiated budget for this year is far better than the Republican-passed budget in the House of Representatives, the original H.R. 1. I pointed out how a budget represents the vision for our future, that it is a policy document. I far prefer the agreement that was reached that preserves America's ability to have a competitive workforce. I pointed out yesterday, and I will repeat again today, that the budget we will vote on will maintain most of the funding for NIH basic research, which is critically important for innovation in America. That is the basic research that is used by our high-tech companies so America can outinnovate our competitors, whereas the House-passed budget would have cut $1.4 billion from NIH research, or how the agreed-to budget will provide for job training and Job Corps pretty much at the current rates, whereas the Republican-passed House budget would have eliminated most of the funds for job training and 40 percent of the funds for the Job Corps; or, for our students and Pell grants, maintaining the funding so students can continue to receive $5,550 maximum under Pell grants. As I pointed out, college education tuition is going up.…”