Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Clay for organizing this Special Order, and the people of Ohio in my district stand with him and with the young artist I will discuss in a moment. The United States of America and this Capitol stand as a symbol of American values and our freedoms. It just so happens I represent a district that contains 2 of the 10 finest museums in America, at Cleveland and Toledo. We know a little bit about artistic expression. Here in the Capitol, we have created a place to gather and celebrate our Nation's highest ideals, and first and foremost among these is the right of every citizen to freely express themselves as equal citizens. A recent act of censorship here at the Capitol placed this American right under threat, and it is important that all Americans think about this and know about it. I speak to say this action cannot be tolerated. I stand with my distinguished colleagues and with the American people to speak out against the removal of David Pulphus' award-winning painting from the United States Capitol. There was a famous French artist named Edgar Degas, who said: ``Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.'' Surely, surely, David Pulphus' painting does this. And I support Mr. Pulphus' continued efforts to appeal a preliminary decision by the District of Columbia Federal Circuit Court that rejected his First Amendment legal claims, and that case will move forward.…”