Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I was on this floor just a moment ago, and I guess I am struck by this quote by Thomas Edison, because as I have listened to more of my colleagues, it seems as if they are driving themselves into failure and they just want to see this determined and committed number of Members who represent constituencies across America driven into failure as well. But it says: Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. And so the stories that we have heard about a young 11-year-old who has the common sense to know that maybe his mother would have lived had she had the right kind of coverage, to my good friend who was just on the floor of the House and mentioned his constituents from his great State of Alabama, I don't know if that constituent that drove 900-plus miles realized that Alabama has one insurance company, only one, no competition. And so when we think about where we are today on the eve of that magnificent vote, this is not arrogance, it is not an attempt to have the majority abuse the minority. It is to reflect on those Americans who did not come, who in silence suffer and die because they have no insurance. I support this legislation, but there are fixes that I would like to have, and I am committed to working beyond the vote tomorrow. I don't like to see the comments that I have seen on signs. I respect it, because I am someone who appreciates the Constitution.…”