Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7764, as amended. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin, my friend, the chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Mr. Steil, for his great work and the work of the staff. This bipartisan bill will establish a commission to study the potential transfer of Philadelphia's Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution. Since 1654, when Jews first sought refuge from persecution in the New World, Jewish Americans have contributed to our Nation in countless ways. They have served at the highest levels of government, won Nobel Prizes, created enduring works of art and literature, and stood at the forefront of nearly every struggle for civil rights and equality in this country. That legacy extends to my own district in Rochester, New York, where Jewish Americans have been a vital part of our community since before the Civil War. In the mid-19th century, they built our first synagogue. When the financial crisis of 1857 threatened to devastate Rochester's economy, the Jewish-American garment industry employed scores of residents and helped keep our city afloat. Today, from the towns of Brighton and Pittsford to Irondequoit and the city of Rochester, Jewish Americans remain an irreplaceable part of our daily lives.…”