Political Quotes

“I thank the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin, the Badger State, for his continued leadership, and each and every week when we are in session coming to the floor of the House of Representatives and articulating the progressive message for all to hear and for the good of the country. I appreciate you yielding some time during this Congressional Progressive Caucus Special Order. This month we marked the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the war on poverty. We know that on January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson came to this very Chamber, spoke to a joint session of Congress, and laid out a series of initiatives designed to combat chronic poverty in this country. As a result of this effort, there were many legislative battles that were won: in the march toward the creation of a Great Society, Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, school breakfast program, the Food Stamp Act, minimum wage enhancement, Job Corps, college work study. These were programs all part of that Great Society era enacted between 1964 and 1966; and taken together with other war on poverty initiatives, they managed to rescue millions and millions of Americans from their impoverished condition and set them on a pathway toward the middle class. Over the years, we have attempted to continue that war on poverty with great success such that the situation in America now is better than it was in 1964; yet we know that the war continues.…”