On the recordMarch 10, 2010
I wish to spend time talking about the bill we are considering. Yesterday afternoon, I had the great fortune--my daughter was performing in Florida and was driving back to New York. I got to see my 7-month-old granddaughter. Anybody who is a grandparent knows what it is like to see your grandchildren. There is nothing wrong with it and everything right with it. You get a picture and see in your grandchildren aspects of your children. It draws back memories. But I was struck by that encounter with my daughter and granddaughter and, by the way, her dog. What are our hopes and dreams about? What are the hopes and dreams we have for our children and our grandchildren? Our hopes and dreams are that they will have great opportunity to flower and blossom in a way that they can take advantage of their God-given talents and their hard work and become a success in their life's endeavors. And then you contrast that with the heritage of our Nation-- a heritage which is about sacrifice--where one generation makes hard choices, makes difficult decisions, where they sacrifice their own benefits from their own endeavors to create opportunity so that the next generation of Americans can have that opportunity to fulfill and expand their heart's desires.





