Political Quotes

“I rise today to discuss an issue that has been in the forefront of the minds of many Americans ringing in the new year; that is, extending benefits for the unemployed--something that is important, of course, for a lot of Americans. Before I begin, I wish to thank my colleague, my friend from Rhode Island, Senator Jack Reed, for his hard work and effort on this behalf as we and our staffs worked together to get this proposal moved forward for today's vote. I hope that my friends and colleagues in the Senate enjoyed their holidays and that everyone returned refreshed and ready to tackle some of the tough issues we have here in 2014. Unfortunately, while Congress was in recess, approximately 17,000 Nevadans greeted the new year not with optimistic expectations of a fresh start but with the anxiety of how they are going to feed their families and perhaps even pay their utility bills. When Congress left Washington, DC, in December, a lot of important matters were left undone and expired. As a result, millions of Americans were left with no idea whether their unemployment benefits were going to be fixed retroactively--something that has become, of course, all too common for this Congress to do. Helping those in need should not be a partisan issue. Providing a limited social safety net is one of the responsibilities of the Federal Government.…”