Political Quotes

“I thank my colleagues from Montana and Nebraska for their hard work on not only this legislation but their very important amendment--long overdue. I certainly thank Senators Johnson and Crapo, without whose leadership we couldn't be here to pass this bill. I thank my original cosponsors, Senator Kirk from Illinois who is here, Senator Jack Reed, Senator Heller, Senator Murphy, Senator Johanns, Senator Warner, Senator Blunt, and Senator Menendez, all of whom recognized the importance of having this incredibly important program reauthorized. As author of the original TRIA legislation, I have watched this evolution closely. I could not be more convinced of the necessity to reauthorize the program for the long haul. I remember the dark days right after 9/11. I was there. The worst thing was the loss of life--people we had all known. I know people who were lost--a guy I played basketball with in high school, a businessman who helped me on the way up, a firefighter with whom I did blood drives. But there was also the economic worry. People thought southern Manhattan would not come back. People thought businesses would flee New York--that New York's greatest days were behind us. And of course the people of New York, with their resiliency, backed up by everyone in this country--including President Bush, very strongly--did come back. But the uncertainty we faced in the immediate aftermath was that there would be no building in southern Manhattan or Manhattan at all.…”