Political Quotes

“I would like to thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. I have come to the floor many times this year to remind my colleagues that our Nation has no greater asset than the folks serving our Nation, including those who make up our Department of Defense, both military and civilian alike. And today I am glad to support this bill, and I am pleased to see the House is moving to ensure that our servicemembers and civilian Department of Defense employees and contractors will be paid, but we must also not forget all of the other Federal employees who serve our Nation on a daily basis. They do a fantastic job also. I am proud to represent tens of thousands of Federal employees and retirees who live in the First District of Virginia. These hardworking patriots serve our Nation on a daily basis, whether it be keeping our skies safe for travelers with the FAA, or supporting our troops on the front lines of the war on terror through the FBI and CIA, or the nurses and doctors in our veterans' hospitals. I firmly believe that the government must continue to operate to ensure our servicemembers and all of our Federal employees continue to be paid and the government operations that folks count on each and every day are not interrupted. The American public and the Nation's public servants deserve our extraordinary efforts to make sure this happens. They deserve our best.”