Political Quotes

“I rise to speak in favor of the Corker- Menendez bill. I thank Chairman Corker for his kind words and for the opportunity to work together on something, in what I believe to be the best traditions of our committee and the Senate. I thank my ranking member, Senator Cardin, for being a great facilitator at the end to help us get over a number of challenging issues, to a point of unanimity on the committee, and to Senator Menendez, whose long-term interest on this issue has been so consistent and so helpful and whose work on this particular piece of legislation was critical. I believe Senator Corker began, and I want to begin as well, with a condolence to the family of Dr. Weinstein, a Marylander who--the announcement today about his death in Afghanistan in a drone strike sort of reminds us of the stakes that are involved in these kinds of issues. When we are talking about American military action or about diplomacy around a nuclear weapons program, it is not a bill we are talking about, it is not a concept we are talking about, we are talking about human lives; that even in the best of circumstances there will be days like today when there will be sad news and Americans who are in harm's way because of the dangerous nature of the world--and I feel like the announcement today about Dr. Weinstein--our condolences to his family should remind us of the seriousness of our obligation.…”