Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), my colleague, for yielding. It is an honor to join him this evening to discuss the cause and mission that is very close to my heart. As many of my colleagues know, I was injured back in 1980, as a young police cadet, when I was accidentally shot and paralyzed in the police locker room when a police officer's gun accidentally discharged. So, the cause of finding a cure and better treatments for spinal cord injuries and supporting family members as caregivers of people with spinal cord injuries has, again, been a passion of mine and mission for many years. In late 2001, it was my privilege to join Christopher and Dana Reeve, two very dear friends of mine whom I got to know very well over the years, in announcing the creation of the Paralysis Resource Center, or the PRC, which was officially established in 2002 as part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. These were two remarkable individuals, as I said, I got to know and who became friends of mine over the years. I can remember back when Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in his horse riding accident and how, instead of being quiet and introverted and just dealing with his recovery, he made it his mission to call attention to the cause of spinal cord injuries and the need for further research to be done and support services to be provided.…”