Political Quotes

“A democracy is not beautiful edifices or beautiful buildings or even words written on paper. A democracy's foundation is the people. Today we pay tribute to the retirement of Pat Kelly, someone who has really helped our democracy thrive. For 54 years, she has been one of the people that, anonymously and without much fanfare, has made sure that this democracy, whose very foundation is the longest continually maintained journal in the world, kept running. She did it as a proud daughter of Brooklyn, and she comes from a truly patriotic family. Her mother was a Member of Congress, as the Speaker and minority leader have pointed out. Her grandfather, William Kelly, was the Postmaster General of Brooklyn. I was proud to kind of make quasi-association with Pat when I was in the city council and I got some funds to fix up Kelly Playground, where so many of us enjoyed Brooklyn. You know, it really is true that many of us as Members of Congress blithely come through here. We cast our votes. We give our speeches. And it's easy for us to forget that this democracy is not about us. It's about the participation of citizenry and, of course, the hard work of so many people that make this institution so grand. Pat Kelly is such a person. She is an institution unto herself. She will be missed around here, but I can tell you she will not be forgotten. We will remember her for her charm, her smile, her grace, and the way with which she did her job.”