Political Quotes

“I rise today to address the Senate in my capacity as President pro tempore. I hope my colleagues will give attention to what I am about to say and will take it to heart because I speak from the heart out of respect for my colleagues and out of love for this great body in which we are all privileged to serve. The Senate has a long and justly celebrated tradition of comity and respect among Members. Although there have been occasional exceptions throughout history, on the whole, Senators have taken great care to treat each other with courtesy and respect, both in private discussions and in public deliberations. We do this for several reasons--first, because mutual respect is essential for us to be able to work together to forge consensus on difficult issues that stir deep and sometimes divisive feelings. Passing meaningful legislation in this body typically requires the two parties to work together, and that, in turn, requires a trust and a certain level of good will. Courtesy and decorum foster an atmosphere where we can work in good faith to find common ground, where we can appeal to nobler instincts to do what is best for all Americans, not just those of a particular partisan persuasion. The second reason we treat each other with courtesy and respect is because it is the honorable thing to do. We come to this body as 100 men and women with vastly different backgrounds, life experiences, and views on how government should operate.…”