Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, let me make very clear that which ought to be very clear: We believe the President of the United States, with the aiding and abetting of the majority leader of the United States Senate, has taken the Government of the United States hostage, and the President of the United States is asking for ransom, and that ransom is to accept his policy or go home and stay shut down. I will tell the gentleman, Mr. Speaker, that I have been in this body for a long time. I am in my fourth decade. I have never supported shutting down the Government of the United States. Now, the gentleman may point out that I have voted from time to time against bills that would have opened it up because of things that were in the bills and these bills passed the House of Representatives when you were in charge. They did not pass the Senate, of course. {time} 1100 I believe that shutting down the people's government is an unacceptable--unacceptable--tactic in a democracy when one is discussing differences that need to be resolved. Unacceptable. Furthermore, as I said on the floor the other day, Mr. Speaker, I can find no free government in the world that shuts itself down, other than the United States of America. Now, we have a relatively unique system of government. But I will tell my friend that we are for border security. We have supported bills that affected border security.…”