Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I am deeply troubled by the majority's action this week in capitulating to the President-elect's transition team to deny the House the opportunity to hear from the esteemed nominee for Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis. To eliminate the opportunity for the chamber closest to the American citizens, the People's House, to have a full dialogue in advance of changing a law paramount to the civilian control of the Defense Department is troubling. Rolling over a Congressional Chamber to expedite a waiver that has only happened once before denigrates the responsibilities of our representative democracy. General James Mattis--has served our nation and the U.S. Marine Corps with distinction in war and peace. He has earned the moniker ``warrior- monk-intellectual'' for his devotion to his soldiers, the library of widely ranging books he carries with him, and his lifetime devotion to the study of war. To politicize the nomination of a great General rather than allow Congress the proper procedure to deliberate his talent and experience is a blemish to liberty.”