Political Quotes

Paul Tonko

The Public Record

Paul David Tonko is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 20th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Tonko has focused on various issues including healthcare, renewable energy, and infrastructure. He has been an advocate for policies aimed at addressing climate change and improving public health. Tonko previously served in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 2007, where he held the position of Assembly Majority Leader from 2005 to 2007.

Quotes by year · 200920261,916 total · peak 2011 (245)
2009: 32 quotes2010: 103 quotes2011: 245 quotes2012: 162 quotes2013: 151 quotes2014: 119 quotes2015: 145 quotes2016: 102 quotes2017: 130 quotes2018: 142 quotes2019: 215 quotes2020: 132 quotes2021: 108 quotes2022: 29 quotes2023: 56 quotes2024: 11 quotes2025: 23 quotes2026: 11 quotes
Sep 7, 2011

Right. Their strength, their resilience is infectious. They motivate me. They fill my voice with passion. Again, I thank you for the wonderful support you have expressed today in caucus to do a stand-alone supplemental bill for the people…

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Sep 7, 2011

Representative Garamendi, I'll try to do this in lightning speed. I think of two things here. People that were impacted by the storms in my district that need to rebuild are also impacted with the loss of jobs. Small businesses that have…

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Jul 29, 2011

Thank you, Representative Garamendi. Let me just say that the challenge for America to pay her bills, many of those bills that were accrued before this administration, is not a Republican challenge; it's not a Democratic challenge. It's an…

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Jul 29, 2011

I thank my colleague from Colorado for yielding. Here we go again, my friends. Here we go again wasting another day of debate on a proposal that is more of a press release than a plan. News broke this morning that, from the moment Speaker…

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Jul 29, 2011

Representative Garamendi, it is a pleasure to join with you, speaking for your base in California, joining with our colleagues from Colorado and Texas and Connecticut and Ohio and Virginia, myself from New York, across this country, we are…

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Jul 29, 2011

Our goal here should be to build up a Nation rather than to bring down a President, and it is shameful to even have that acknowledged.

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Jul 28, 2011

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding. We're here today, at long last, to vote on the Republican default plan. After 200 days without a jobs agenda, after 200 days of saying that those hardest hit by the recession should…

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Jul 27, 2011

I agree with the two previous speakers, my colleagues from California. Here we are dealing with a flawed bill that would deny our stewardship of our environment all while we're faced with an economic consequence, with a default that stares…

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Jul 26, 2011

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 14, line 7, after the first dollar amount, insert ``(decreased by $8,408,000)''. Page 14, line 19, after the dollar…

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Jul 26, 2011

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York will be postponed. Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Amash

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Jul 26, 2011

In just a few hours, my Republican colleagues will bring to the floor the Jobs Outsourcers' Bill of Rights. This piece of legislation is an open attack on workforce protections, a union-busting bill that will open loopholes for companies…

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Jul 20, 2011

We're told it's the millionaire-billionaire tax cut that responded to the needs of the job creators.

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Jul 20, 2011

The original tech valley. Thank you, Representative Garamendi. I know we don't have much time. I'll do this quickly. The 21st Congressional District that I represent in upstate New York is the host community to the Erie Canal barge canal…

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Jul 20, 2011

I don't know because it was messing with the Constitution. And The Wall Street Journal advised, don't mess with the Constitution, leave the Constitution out of this. And there were those who were economic advisors to President Reagan who…

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Jul 20, 2011

Representative Garamendi, I think that the message from the Democrats in the House of Representatives is straightforward and very logical: Don't end Medicare. We saw three votes to end Medicare in the House. We say save Medicare, make it…

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Jul 20, 2011

Representative Garamendi, what I didn't hear, though, was the resolve of the default crisis. I didn't hear advocacy from the other side about paying our bills. I'm hearing about cutting away at middle class values and middle class needs. I…

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Jul 20, 2011

Yes. I just think that what we have witnessed is a messing with a very precious document, one that governs this democracy, this Republic in a way that was carefully planned by our founding parents. And to take that precious document and to…

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Jul 20, 2011

Our country is strong. Our economy is one that is bolstered by job creation. And we've said it so many times over and over again: Don't cut valuable programs. Allow our seniors the dignity of Medicare. That enables them to have economic…

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Jul 20, 2011

Well, by their own acknowledgement, their own leaders indicated that this would enshrine the Republican agenda to end Medicare in the United States Constitution. So what we end up with is that we have these very bold statements made, that…

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Jul 20, 2011

Thank you, Representative Garamendi, and thank you for bringing us together on some very important discussions and laser-sharp focus which is essential as we face this default crisis, where there are those who are dragging their feet and…

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Jul 20, 2011

Just on the Medicaid/Medicare piece, if I could just say one thing. When we fall short on the Medicaid side, it falls again upon the property taxpayer, and again, if you're on a fixed income, as many seniors are, and again, the…

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Jul 19, 2011

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is our pleasure during the next 40-or-so minutes to express concerns about a Medicare program that has served this Nation's seniors so very well for 45 years and is at risk of being ended. Tonight, we witnessed…

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Jul 19, 2011

Very well said, Representative Courtney. What I think upsets all three of us is the fact that, with the Affordable Care Act, where we found savings by reining in some of the profit margins of insurance companies that were used--those…

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Jul 19, 2011

I believe it's $157 billion, right. It's a benefit that ought to be shared on behalf of our Nation's seniors. To the points made earlier in this discussion as to the efforts for prevention, for screenings, that do not require co-payments…

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Jul 19, 2011

It's very obvious from the polls being taken by many, many organizations out there that the American public said it's about jobs. We need jobs in the economy in order to make things work. It will reduce the deficit. It will put people to…

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Politicians like Paul Tonko