Sean Patrick Maloney: “it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, ``You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really…”

“it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, ``You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face * * * You must do the thing you think you cannot do.'' The Americans for Democratic Action has for 50 years been an organization that has looked the sometimes cold and heartless agenda of some in this Congress and fought it head on with its more just and compassionate ideals. The Democratic agenda has long been rooted in the principles that the ADA espouses and we are pleased that this organization reminds us of our responsibility to be tough in the face of injustice. I rise tonight as a proud member of the Board of the Americans for Democratic Action. I am particularly privileged to stand here as a New Yorker as the ADA has an extraordinary history in the Big Apple. Founded in 1947, by David Dubinsky and the ever remarkable Eleanor Roosevelt, and ADA began as part of a labor movement and since then has developed a progressive agenda that spans from equal rights to jobs to economic justice to education. The ADA has been a strong voice for those whose voices are drowned by words of intolerance and fear. We are truly fortunate that the ADA has not only been completely dedicated to justice within U.S. borders, but has also been instrumental in advancing human rights throughout the world.”