Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, every Member of this body, from the most conservative to the most liberal, shares the conviction that the surest way to improve the quality of life in our Nation is to strengthen our families. Strong families enhance well-being, improve children's self-esteem, and significantly increase the odds that children will succeed in school and grow up to be good parents themselves. Study after study shows that a strong predictor of child well-being is the degree to which a parent and child bond in the first months of a child's birth. The more constant and nurturing that bond is in the early months of life, the better off the child will be down the road. That is why this is such an incredibly important piece of legislation. The Federal Government, in many ways, as an employer, has been a leader, not a follower, a leader in efforts to ensure positive employee policies. In fact, the private sector has adopted many of these same policies. We all know that the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act has been an outstanding success in helping to promote healthy families. So this is not so much about the mother or the father, it is about the child, and the sense of well-being and groundedness that the child has.”