Political Quotes

“Nor will I ever because I have tremendous respect for the Senator. We come to the Senate with different career backgrounds: You, a very distinguished State legislator, then Governor, and now U.S. Senator. How well I know that. I campaigned as a U.S. Senator when you were a State legislator, when you were running for the governorship, and then for the Senate. I am privileged and delighted that the Senator is here. But you used one word I have to ask you to reconsider: This will establish a dangerous precedent. I ask my good friend--Virginia has the .08 drinking law, which has been very effective. It has saved lives. That is the purpose of this legislation, to save lives. To me, a little less concrete, a little less asphalt, and we may save a life, and we may save thrusting expenses on the local communities--whether it is the small community of Hopewell, VA, or the large community of Richmond. When an accident happens, they are the ones who bear the cost of sending out the police, the rescue squads--fortunately, Virginians volunteer in many instances--to attend to the wounded, the sick, and, indeed, the dying as a consequence of the accident. That is costly, and it is clearly documented that we save lives with the increase in the use of seatbelts. The Secretary of Transportation, on behalf of the President, wrote this body a letter, addressed to the distinguished chairman, Mr. Inhofe, which is in the Record. It explicitly says the increase in the use of seatbelts saves lives.”