Political Quotes

“I rise today to echo the comments of colleagues earlier about the contribution of Lamar Alexander, our friend and colleague, as well as somebody who has had an impact not just on the State of Tennessee but on the United States of America. I think one of the toughest things a Member of the Congress can do is to, No. 1, step down from leadership, or, No. 2, voluntarily leave the body. I think it says more about Lamar Alexander than any comments that can be made; that he understands where he is going, and I think he stated it very well. His contribution to the future of this country is what he is most concerned with, and that is why this country is blessed to have leaders such as he. We welcome him back into the ranks of the normal, the general population of what has been the asylum of late. I hope Lamar will be a great influence in our ability to get the body of deliberative debate and participation back, and that is certainly his quest. One of his passions, though, is education. I was shocked he didn't mention that in his litany of areas he would delve into. But I know earlier last week he and I and others introduced five reforms to K-12 education. When we talk about the future, whether it is Senator Alexander or myself or others, we say the future of this country is conditional upon how well we educate the next generation and how we make sure the next generation has the foundational knowledge they need to compete in a 21st-century economy.…”