Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to make a few brief remarks in honor of Congressman Patrick Joseph Kennedy of Rhode Island. With Patrick's departure from the House of Representatives to seek new challenges and enjoy some well-earned time out of the political spotlight, my home State of Rhode Island is losing a champion for working families and our country is losing a public servant who did as much as anyone else to care for and lift those in the shadows of life. It is a moment to thank Patrick for his many contributions to the lives of Rhode Islanders over his 16 years of service in the House but also a moment to reflect on his unique place in the political history of our country. After all, the 112th Congress will be the first in more than half a century in which no member of the Kennedy family is serving in either the House or the Senate. In Rhode Island, a State that he adopted, and that adopted him/he first entered public service at the young age of 21, winning his congressional seat a few short years later in 1994, one of only four GOP seats Democrats won in that election. Over the years, Patrick continually faced capable and well-funded opponents, but his constituents had come to recognize and welcome his humble dedication to their lives, re-electing him seven times. He was my younger, but senior, colleague on our delegation.…”