Political Quotes

“I commend the gentlewoman, and I thank her for yielding me this time. I want to express affection and respect for the authors of the amendment and just simply say some years ago I was in favor of this, but I have gotten wiser, and this amendment is wrong. If my colleagues are concerned about Americans or rather permanent residents who have come here to live and to join us, and they do not want them to have free speech, and they do not want to let them have the other rights, then say so. I have heard a lot on the other side of the aisle about how this is about free speech and how gifts of money for campaign purposes are the exercise of free speech. Correct. These people do almost everything that every American citizen does. They serve in the Armed Forces. As the gentlewoman mentioned, 20 percent of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients have been legal immigrants or naturalized citizens. They serve in our Army. They are permitted to participate in our elective process, and they should be permitted to give money if they are legally resident. Mr. Chairman, they should not be permitted to do things which are improper, but I say give them the right to participate in the system in the degree that is full and proper.”