Political Quotes

“Madam President, this morning I want to take just a few minutes and update the Senate on our work here in the Senate. Not only do I want to update our fellow Senators but also our constituents watching around the country about the bill currently before this body. For people around America, for people in the State of New York, the State of the Presiding Officer, I have received calls from the Governor of New York on many occasions, and I mean many occasions. We have had long discussions about how this money that is in this bill is so necessary for the State of New York. Yesterday, I met with Mayor Bloomberg. Mayor Bloomberg was here trying to reach out on a bipartisan basis to get this bill passed. He called a number of Republican Governors and reported to me as to those conversations. Without a single exception, Republican Governors, Democratic Governors--I have not talked personally to any Republican Governors, but, as I indicated, Mayor Bloomberg did--I have talked to Democratic Governors who have called me about how desperate parts of this country are for this money. It is not only the money we refer to as FMAP, the money for teachers, the money for police officers, firefighters, but it is all other moneys. The State of New York, I have been told--I say New York because the Presiding Officer is here, but this story could be told many times over in the Senate Chamber about other States--the State of New York badly needs these summer jobs.…”