Political Quotes

“First of all, let me thank my friends and colleagues, Mr. Soto from Florida and Mr. Westerman from Arkansas, for shepherding this important measure. Madam Speaker, right outside this door, in Statuary Hall, there is a very large statue with the person's hand extended like that, as if to say welcome, welcome all of America to this institution. That statue is of Chief Standing Bear. And today, I am so proud that we are considering a bill to honor his courage and sacrifice. As we have heard, here is a bit of his story. Chief Standing Bear and his Ponca people were relocated from their ancestral homeland in Niobrara, Nebraska, to what was called Indian Territory in Oklahoma. As we learned, Chief Standing Bear's son fell ill, and he made his son a promise that he would bury him back in his ancestral homeland. When that happened, Standing Bear took that harrowing journey one cold winter back home, and for that, he was arrested for leaving the reservation. During his trial, Chief Standing Bear raised his hand and said: ``I am a man. The same God made us both.'' The judge was so moved by his testimony that he declared that Native Americans were to be considered persons for consideration under the law. That wasn't until 1879. Madam Speaker, Chief Standing Bear didn't seek to be a civil rights leader, but he changed the course of history in that moment, all for the sake of human dignity and human rights.…”