Political Quotes

On the recordJune 20, 2019
Mr. President, Ernest Hemingway said that the world is a fine place and worth fighting for, and I couldn't agree more. My colleague from Delaware and I are here on the floor to fight for that world, to fight for our planet. If you breathe in a lung full of air right now--and I invite anybody following this to do so--hold it for a few seconds, and breathe it out, the air that you will have just taken into your body, into your lungs, will have had 33 percent more carbon than when I was born. That is a dramatic transformation of the atmosphere on this planet. It doesn't matter where you go. You could be doing this exercise here in DC, back home in Oregon, or in Japan. It is still 33 percent more carbon in a single lifetime. Because that extra carbon is blanketing our entire globe, it is having a huge impact--an impact we see in all kinds of ways. Back home in Oregon, there has been a huge impact with the forest fires. We had forest fires this year that started in March. Perhaps you have seen some pictures of walls of flames and fires in Montana, in Washington, in Oregon, and in California in the last couple of years-- smoke that has blanketed our cities and our States for weeks on end. This is not the norm. This is the result of changing climate chaos, and it is not good. We see extreme weather across the country. We see more powerful hurricanes assaulting the Southeast.…
Said by
Jeff Merkley
Democratic · Oregon

Share & report

More from Jeff Merkley

Mar 26, 2025

Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that privileges of the floor be granted to Nathan Sansone today, my shadow intern. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

govinfo.gov
Mar 27, 2025

Mr. President and colleagues, back in 1974, the Senate and the House were very agitated over the increases in the national annual deficit that was adding considerably to the national debt. They said we needed to do something about this…

govinfo.gov
Jun 24, 2025

We will make sure the Byrd Rule is followed and review any changes Republicans attempt to make to the bill.

commondreams.org
Jun 30, 2025

You saw the billionaires lined up behind him at the inauguration, that’s who he’s working for.

breitbart.com

Other voices in this conversation