Political Quotes

“I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding and for his tremendous leadership on behalf of the hardworking Federal employees who serve this Nation in such a tremendous fashion. I rise today in strong support of this legislation which will provide a modest and well-deserved cost-of-living increase for the Federal workforce. For 35 days, this administration recklessly shut down the government so it could try to fund a campaign applause line. For 35 days, this administration shut down the government and held hardworking employees hostage using them like bargaining chips from a bankrupt casino. For 35 days, hundreds of thousands of Federal employees were furloughed, putting their well-being in jeopardy. For 35 days, members of the Coast Guard, air traffic controllers, TSA agents, FBI agents, Border Patrol agents, Secret Service agents, and so many others were forced to work without pay in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. For 35 days, these hardworking Federal employees across the country from north to south to east to west stepped up for us. Now it is time for this Congress to step up for them. Over the last 2 years, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have spent their time working on behalf of the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. That is the only way, Mr. Chairman, that you can explain jamming a reckless tax scam down the throats of the American people where 83 percent of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1 percent.…”