Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, yesterday, just a few hours after they attempted to kill the independent Office of Congressional Ethics and strip it for parts, Republicans backed down in the face of public outrage. It speaks volumes that the first thing Republicans attempted to do was weaken ethical standards and that they only changed course once their efforts were exposed to the public. This is not what the American people sent us here to do. It seems that, contrary to rhetoric, Republicans don't want to drain the swamp. They want to fill it up. This is wrong, and it is critical that Members of Congress be accountable and adhere to the highest ethical standards. In the weeks ahead, it is critical that all of us hold the majority accountable and prevent them from going back to the days when thinly veiled bribes, kickbacks, and worse were commonplace in this town. We need more ethical reforms in Congress, not less. That is why I have introduced the ETHICS Act, to require every Member of Congress to undergo the same annual ethics training that their staffs have to complete. That is why I am asking Members of both parties to demand better from our elected officials than what we saw over the last 48 hours. ____________________”