Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Mr. McGovern, for his leadership and for managing this rule. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to the closed rule for H. Res. 11. Ranking Member Engel, Mr. Price, and I have submitted an amendment to H. Res. 11 when it came before the Rules Committee. Our amendment offered a balanced approach and strongly reaffirmed longstanding, bipartisan principles that undergird U.S. policy on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. We introduced that amendment as a reasonable alternative that would allow all of us to convene the broadest possible bipartisan coalition here in the House. Personally, I believe the U.S. should have vetoed the U.N. Security Council resolution, and, notably, our resolution supported the U.S. veto of any one-sided or anti-Israel U.N. Security Council resolution or any resolution that seeks to impose a resolution to the conflict. Our resolution also condemned boycott and divestment campaigns and sanctions that target Israel, and it reiterated support for a negotiated settlement leading to a sustainable two-state solution that reaffirms Israel's right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state. We all agree that there can be no substitute for direct bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. As we transition into a new administration and begin this new Congress, we should resist temptations to rewrite U.S. policy on the peace process in a misguided attempt to further drive a wedge where none should exist.…”