Political Quotes

“I applaud passage of the Gambling Impact Study Commission Act. It has been apparent for some time that a reasonable consensus had been reached on providing the Commission with reasonable powers and duties, and I congratulate the leadership for bringing this important bill to the floor. I also congratulate Senator Stevens for maneuvering this legislation through a tricky legislative process. Senators Lugar and Simon have done a remarkable job of keeping public attention on this issue. And Representative Wolf from my home State of Virginia has certainly been a leader in steering this legislation through the House of Representatives. I have enjoyed working with all of them to make sure that the facts about gambling are laid before the people so that they and their representatives can make fully-informed decisions about gambling in their States and communities. Mr. President, we all know that the benefits of gambling are often easy to see--tax revenues for the States, jobs created in casinos, attention paid to cities or States with exciting games and lotteries. These benefits are very evident in a number of our communities around our country. The problem is that the downsides of gambling are harder to see. If a teenager gets addicted to gambling, or a father loses his family savings, the effects on their families, their employers, and their friends, are difficult to quantify.”