Political Quotes

“Madam President, I had hoped we would not get to this point. I believe that where I was headed is to embody why we have come to this moment today. It just did not happen. I was referring to this article by Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine that in January the House Republicans met, retreated to Williamsburg, VA, and came up with a strategy. What is that strategy? He goes on to say: The first element of that strategy is a kind of legislative strike. House Republicans initially decided to boycott all direct negotiations with President Obama, and then subsequently extended that boycott to negotiations with the Democratic Senate-- Which only goes to prove why, despite having passed a budget 6 months ago or over 6 months ago, each of the 18 times that Senator Murray, the budget chair, has asked to go to a conference--which is a meeting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to work out their differences in their budget--there have been objections. So when I read this article and see that House Republicans decided to boycott all direct negotiations with President Obama and then subsequently extended that boycott to negotiations with the Democratic Senate--we are seeing the consequences of that strategy here today.…”