Political Quotes

“Mr. President, on more than once occasion, I have talked about the hardworking men and women who toil mostly in anonymity here in the Senate. We have people who work on our staffs and on the committees. We have floor and cloakroom staff. We have parliamentarians and legislative counsel and enrolling clerks. We have carpenters and plumbers and electricians. To me, all of these people are part of the Senate family. And I am always grateful for the dedication, skill, and pride each brings to his or her job. Many of these individuals live in Maryland and I am proud to have them as constituents. While we Senators may have our partisan differences, the Senate functions well at an institutional level because of the professionalism and devotion to public service of its staff people who typically log long hours; endure government shutdowns, security threats, and other perturbations; and work in facilities we try to make as accessible as possible to the American people and anyone else who wishes to visit. Today, I thank one such individual, Jerry Linnell, for 32 years of exemplary service to the Senate and the American people. Jerry is retiring at the end of the month. Jerry joined the staff of the U.S. Senate's Official Reporters of Debates in 1982 and became the Chief Reporter of Debates in 1999. For those people who may be unfamiliar with the Reporters' office, it is charged with producing a verbatim account of everything that happens here on the floor of the Senate.…”