Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, for convening us here today on this incredibly important issue on the House floor and, of course, for his extraordinary leadership on behalf of the songwriters in America. Over the years, I have gotten to know some very good country lawyers. I have also gotten to know some very good country preachers. My good friend from Georgia is the best of both worlds. We appreciate the tremendous skill set that he has brought to bear here in the United States Congress. We are members, of course, of the class of 2012. It has been wonderful to work closely with you in your capacity as the lead sponsor of this very important piece of legislation. Article I, section 8, clause 8, of the United States Constitution gives Congress, both the House and the Senate, the power to create a robust intellectual property system, in the words of our Founders, in order ``to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.'' The Founders of this great country understood that it was important to create a robust intellectual property system in order to allow creators and innovators to be able to benefit from the fruits of their labor. Songwriters, of course, are at the heart of the music ecosystem, a music ecosystem that produces a variety of different forms of music. We know that there is country. There is pop.…”