Political Quotes

“for those Members that are still in their offices and others who are watching, this is in fact probably the last time that I will come into the well of the House of Representatives to address this Chamber and to address the people of the United States in this capacity. As many of you know, on the 18th of this month, I will conclude my service here in the House of Representatives, lay my resignation forward, and move from that point on on the 18th into a new capacity, that being the President and CEO of the NAACP. Mr. Speaker, I come to the well with mixed emotions but I come nonetheless because this has been for me a place of partisan wrangling and a place quite frankly to make amends. This well is used by Members for a number of things, most of which is to talk about their legislation, but it also, I think, ought to be a pulpit from which we seek to bridge a better understanding of one another, from which we try to build coalitions and from which we try to understand not just the Members of this Chamber but ourselves differently and also the millions upon millions of people throughout the United States who watch on a daily basis our actions as Members of this august body. I came here, Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, in the class of 1986. We were 51 in number and we were a part of what was known then as the historic 100th Congress, a unique class, I think, in many respects, but a class nonetheless that I regret having to depart from as many others have before me.”