Political Quotes

“a time-honored tradition in this body is now under attack. I am speaking of that period, this time right now, set aside each day for one-minute speeches. It has been a long practice for Members to come to the well of the Chamber each morning to speak briefly about pending legislation, a tribute to a group or individual back in their district, or a soon-to-be introduced bill. Sadly, some would like to move those speeches to the end of the legislative day, I believe to stifle debate. I, like many of my colleagues, strenuously oppose that idea. One-minute speeches often give Members, particularly junior Members, a chance to speak when they otherwise might not have the opportunity to do so. As my colleagues know, a freshman or a sophomore Member might sit at a committee meeting for 2 hours before being able to pose one question to a witness. He or she, if lucky, might get 30 seconds to debate a pending bill on the floor. One-minute speeches give these Members and the people they represent back home a chance to be heard. Mr. Speaker, let us not silence Members of this body. Let us not stifle debate. Let us not kill the one-minute speeches.”