Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for yielding, but especially for leading us to this moment where we have the opportunity to do something big and meaningful that will put millions of Americans back to work in a meaningful way and stimulate this economy and also position us to lead in the 21st century. I will say this, however. We have been through this before. I have been here 8 years, and every year somebody from the other side comes down to this floor to offer the same amendment to take away an important protection that is actually quite simple. It just simply says people who work for a living ought to be paid a fair wage, a wage that is consistent with the prevailing wages in the community so that people don't have to work full time and live in poverty, as tens of millions of Americans do right now. It is pretty straightforward. Thankfully, even when the Democrats were not in the majority, there were enough thoughtful Republicans on the other side who would join with us to protect workers. But I do find, and I know this is an issue that is very difficult for many of our Members to take, and it is an emotional subject because it is the same Republican leadership that pushed through a tax bill that granted huge economic benefits to a very small number of people at the very top who now want to pull the rug from under working families. This can't stand, and it won't. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.”