Political Quotes

“Madam President, I note that this is a sad day for this body. When standing up to the Soviet Union, Democrats and Republicans were able to come together in support of Andrei Sakharov, and it worked. It made a difference speaking up for human rights. The senior Senator from California is correct that this was expedited, and she is correct as to why. As I said in this floor speech, the presence of President Xi in this country is precisely the reason that we should stand in unanimity in support of human rights. It is what makes it timely until a few minutes ago, when we had been informed that there were no objections on the Democratic side and Republican side. It saddens me. I know there are many Chinese Americans in the State of California, there are many Chinese Americans in the State of Texas, and across the country there are millions of Americans who care for human rights. Just this morning we sat on the floor of the House of Representatives and listened to Pope Francis talk about putting aside petty partisan differences and coming together with a voice of compassion. Dr. Liu is in a Chinese prison, and the senior Senator from California is standing and objecting to recognizing this Nobel laureate's bravery, is standing and objecting because presumably it would embarrass his Communist captors. I, for one, think as Americans we should not be troubled by embarrassing Communist oppressors.…”