Political Quotes

“I wish to thank my colleague from Rhode Island. As usual, he is graceful and thoughtful as well as being an outstanding legislator with a great deal of passion. I know he wants to speak on the issue he is ready to speak about, but, again, his grace and kindness are always present and I appreciate it. I return to the floor to just say some words of thanks. We had limited time before, so I wanted to speak to the issue. I wish to thank some people. First I thought I would mention how much a dream this comprehensive bill has been to so many people. At the top of the list, of course, is Ted Kennedy, who was one of the greatest human beings I ever met in my life. He had the immigration subcommittee before me. This wouldn't have happened without his guidance and leadership. Did we make changes from what he did? Obviously. But did his basic feeling, structure, and knowledge that it had to be bipartisan all carry forward on this bill? Absolutely. We know Ted is smiling as he is looking down on us today. We know he will continue to inspire not only those of us in the Senate but also the country as we move forward. I wanted to spend a few minutes--and I very much appreciate my colleague from Rhode Island for yielding--to thank my staff. We are lucky to have the leadership of Mike Lynch, our chief of staff. We are a team, and it is an amazing team. Everyone covers each other and everyone looks out for each other.…”