Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I only wanted to add my voice to yours about Agnes Varis. I appreciate the junior Senator from West Virginia giving me a moment or two. I have known Agnes for many years. I worked with her on generic drug issues for the last decade--more than that--when I was in the House of Representatives. She had a commitment and a compassion for the underdog that is rare in this world, especially rare for someone as successful as she was. I remember years ago hearing her story as a Greek immigrant and with a mother who actually could not read and write and how Agnes was so important to that family after her father died when Agnes was a very young woman--a girl still--and how Agnes went to Brooklyn College and was, I believe, the only woman there at the time. And something else Agnes did--and I apologize to the Senator from New York, now the Presiding Officer, for not hearing all of his remarks. Agnes really stepped up after Hurricane Katrina and helped by not just giving some of her wealth to these musicians who did not have jobs because of the destruction of New Orleans but stepped up and actually hired these musicians so they were actually working, not just getting help from her, hired them to go around to the schools and through much of Louisiana and play for students and teach students music and, if nothing else for those students who had the musical talent that most of us have, which is limited, helped those students appreciate music and appreciate jazz.…”