Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to join with a number of my colleagues, and I thank the Senator from Illinois for her comments on pensions, but there is another battle that a lot of us have been down here for a number of times over the last couple of years; that is, how do we make sure this country honors its promise and provides a permanent fix for our Nation's coal miners, particularly in terms of a promise that was made back in the late 1940s by then-President Truman in terms of healthcare for miners? The last few months have been filled with an awful lot of uncertainty about whether the promise of healthcare for miners, retirees, widows, and others would be kept. As a matter of fact, earlier this year, 22,000 coal miners or their dependents received notices that their healthcare benefits would be terminated at the end of April. After months of uncertainty and fighting, we stand ready later this week to pass a bill that would make sure America kept its promise. We have spent a lot of time on this floor arguing for causes, but rarely in the 8 years I have been here have I seen any Member of the Senate be more engaged, more obsessed, more of a pain in the neck--and a pain in other parts of bodies--on this issue than my great friend, the Senior Senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin.…”