Political Quotes

“my friend the Republican leader--and I will talk in more detail in a few minutes--is complaining about a tax of one-half of 1 percent--one-half of 1 percent on people who make more than $1 million a year to pay for a program that would stop teachers from being laid off and rehire some of the teachers who have been laid off. The massive layoffs we have had in America today of course are rooted in the last administration. It is very clear that private sector jobs have been doing fine. It is the public sector jobs where we have lost huge numbers. That is what this legislation is all about. It is unfortunate my friend the Republican leader is complaining about that. I would also note that my friend said the House passed another bill. Well, they pass lots of bills, but they rarely go anyplace. A report led by Henry Waxman of California, long-time Member of the House, indicated last week that the House has voted 168 times to roll back regulations on clean air, clean water. These safeguards are important to have a healthier America. But the Republican response has been cutting back environmental and health safeguards, I guess hoping that a sicker, more polluted country is a better place to create jobs. It is not. I am going to talk a little bit today about the legislation that I moved to on Monday dealing with, as I have indicated, maintaining jobs for teachers, firefighters, and police officers. Seventy-five percent of Americans support this legislation.…”