Political Quotes

“this past Saturday, our country lost two beloved public servants. Representative Robert T. Matsui and former Representative Shirley Chisholm leave us behind, but our national consciousness will never forget their considerable contributions to pursuing equality and social justice for all Americans. Representatives Matsui and Chisholm dedicated so much of themselves to others, and the outpouring of support demonstrates the deep impact each had on the lives of others. Both leaders rose from humble beginnings to the heights of Congress. Representative Matsui, one of the thousands of Japanese Americans taken to an internment camp during World War II, became an influential member on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. His passion for social justice shaped the core of his being, reverberating through his promotion of adequate job training, equal access to health care coverage for children, and the preservation of Social Security for our nation's seniors and disabled citizens. In 1988, he helped win restitution from the U.S. Government for the internment program that negatively affected many surviving Japanese Americans. Representative Chisholm too overcame great obstacles. As the product of the working neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968. Her advocacy on civil rights issues, particularly women's rights, was unparalleled as she reached out beyond her local constituency to all Americans.”