Political Quotes

“I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak this evening and for his thoughtfulness in organizing this conversation and inviting others of our colleagues to come forward. Mr. Speaker, I think it is so important to be able to put a human face on an issue that sometimes gets lost in the rhetoric. We have had a lot of rhetoric this last year. The fears that were stoked by the campaign with harsh words about immigrants, people of different religions, people who would be at risk of deportation, to maybe having a registry, having denial based on people's religions or what their perceived religions might be has sent shock waves, but it is nothing compared to what I have experienced in the days immediately after the election. People who were apprehensive and concerned are terrified--children unsure about whether parents will be there when they come home from school, people who are concerned about whether they will be able to have employment. It is not just people who may not have their documents in order. This touches millions of Americans who are part of extended families, who are part of families in the workplace. I was honored to be part of a fundraising event 2 weeks ago that was hosted by Oregon's wine industry. We came together in a lavish fundraising dinner and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the health care for the employees in their vineyards. Now, they are not asking about their documentation.…”