Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in strident opposition to the underlying bill. We've all heard Michael Masser and Linda Creed's lyrics, ``I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.'' The song is sung by every megastar and quoted at every whistlestop by every politician. {time} 1600 Well, if we believe this, then our most basic and most fundamental obligation of a civilized society is not only to teach them well but to feed them. The WIC program is the USDA's largest discretionary program that provides assistance to children up to 5 years of age, to pregnant women, post-partum women, breast-feeding women who are nutritionally at risk because of inadequate nutrition and income. We've heard a great deal from the other side--just recently the previous speaker--talk about the importance of letting the free market system work, that we need jobs. Infants cannot work. They are helpless. And according to the most recent census, almost 20 percent of the Nation's children are living in poverty. A recent report estimates that the annual estimated cost of domestic hunger is $90.4 billion, the cost of hunger, the consequences of hunger. According to the American Community Survey, almost half of the children living in single, female-headed households in my district live in poverty and about 39 percent in Wisconsin are poor. This program represents in any decent society the basic obligation we have to our fellow citizens.…”