Political Quotes

“I have not been able to bring the Older Americans Act to the floor. I have not been able to reauthorize it. My colleagues on that side have just as much responsibility for that not happening as some on my side. My colleagues have to understand the Older Americans Act in the first place. How 10 groups, 10 organizations got their fingers on all that money, I will never know. But that is the way it was passed. But what the law said when it was passed is that 55 percent of the money would go back to the States, 45 percent of the money would stay in Washington for the lobbyists here in Washington. Unfortunately, the other body has not followed that law. The House has always appropriated properly. The other body has appropriated 75 percent for those lobbyists in Washington and 25 percent for those who really need it back in my colleagues' districts and my district. We came up with a bipartisan bill, moved it out of committee. Again, those Washington lobbyists got to my colleagues' side of the aisle, got to my side of the aisle; and therefore we again do not have a reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.”