Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the freshman class's commitment to civility. Before the Revolutionary War, a 16-year-old George Washington copied 110 rules for civil behavior out of his school book. The last of Washington's rules of civility, as they are now called, is this: ``Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.'' Conscience: That should be our guide in everything we do, both here in Congress and back home--for me, in Michigan's First District. Conscience is why, as a Member of the freshman class of the 115th Congress, I have made a commitment to open and civil debate. We are facing many challenges in our country. And the folks here and back in Michigan, all across the land, on both sides of the aisle, have many different ideas about where we need to be and what we need to do to get there. That is democracy at work. Being civil means that the best and most effective ideas have a real chance to be heard. If we truly desire to move forward as a country, we have to do it together. We must treat each other with dignity and respect. We must be civil. This freshman class has dedicated itself across party lines to setting the example for ourselves and for our colleagues here in Congress and for all of our constituents. Mr. Speaker, I will uphold these standards, and I trust that my colleagues will also do the same.”