Political Quotes

“Madam President, I would like to talk about two Pennsylvanians, Malphine Fogel and Marc Fogel. Today, Malphine turned 95 in her Butler, PA, home. She has lived a long and fulfilling life, with a successful career and a loving family. But today, one key part of her life is missing: her son Marc. Vladimir Putin has held Marc as a political pawn for more than 30 months on extreme charges for bringing into Russia less than an ounce of doctor-prescribed medical marijuana to treat his chronic pain. Instead of a nice dinner with Marc and his wife Jane at Malphine's house and the knowledge that they drove safely down Route 8 and the Turnpike back to their Oakmont home, Malphine will be lucky to get a timed call from Marc. Instead of the joy of celebrating her 95th birthday, Malphine woke up and spent her day with the stress of not knowing if she will ever be with her son again. As Marc Fogel sits in prison after conviction by a kangaroo court, it is critical to highlight not only his plight and treatment by the Russians, but also those affected by it, like his 95-year-old mother. Malphine was born to Italian immigrants Guilliano and Celeste Andreassi on March 11, 1929, in Brady's Bend, PA, just west of Butler. Malphine was always a hard worker and earned valedictorian honors of the 1947 class at East Brady High School. She then worked for many years as a proofreader at the local paper, the Butler Eagle. In 1957, Malphine married Maurice ``Cubby'' Fogel.…”