Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Hagan. I appreciate her leadership on this issue. Again, I also appreciate her recognition of not only the Members who have been struggling with the bill for almost a year, but the staff members who help us put together the facts, put together the case studies, who help us crunch the numbers, as we try to make sure we get this right. I now want to call on my friend, the Senator from Alaska. One of the things the freshmen have always said, as we have come to the floor over these months--as we have pointed out--is that the price of doing nothing is extraordinarily high to our economy, to our families, to our businesses, and that the status quo is not sustainable. I know this has been a theme Senator Begich has echoed repeatedly on the floor. As we come to the closing hours of this debate, if you could share with us one more time why you think the status quo is unacceptable. What is the price of doing nothing? How would that affect the people and businesses in the great State of Alaska? Senator Begich.”