Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who once wrote that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle have today trumpeted forward an energy bill which they claim will promote America's energy independence. As the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee noted, this is a serious issue. But for those of you who are inclined to actually keep track of these things, this is actually the fourth time that the majority has advanced this particular flawed proposal in one form or another. That to me is a foolish consistency, or just like a broken record, this bill clearly is not playing with the American people. We fear that it will harm consumers, both individual consumers and companies, and it will also hurt the competitive position of the American economy. At a time when that economy is teetering on the lip of a recession and we are passing through this Chamber stimulus legislation, Washington ought to think twice before we go forward with a bill like this instead of embracing an energy policy that meets the needs of our economy now and that anticipates the challenges of the future.”