Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding the time. Madam Speaker, obviously, I support this bill today to replenish the hurricane insurance fund, which would otherwise run dry for the entire country next week, but it does not excuse the callous action of the House leadership the other night for taking the $60 billion of relief off the table. Now we're told we'll get a vote on the 15th, and I hope they're as good as their word, although they haven't been in the past. Even so, it will take God knows how long for the Senate because the bill they had passed is now dead, this being a new Congress. That action the other night delayed relief for the long suffering people, for the businessowners whose businesses are going under, for the homeowners whose homes are suffering from mold. All of this was delayed by at least 3 weeks, maybe longer, on top of the fact that we had gone already 9 weeks--Katrina was 10 days--with a lack of aid, and now it will be another 3 or 4 or 5. This is the most callous action I've ever seen. The leadership of this House should be condemned for it. I hope they have the determination to make sure that this, indeed, comes to a vote on the 15th, that it passes and that the Senate is induced to match it quickly. That would be the least that decency would demand.”