Political Quotes

“I rise today to continue an important Senate tradition. Each year, beginning in 1896, on a day near in time to George Washington's birthday, a Senator, alternating between parties, stands in the Senate to read Washington's Farewell Address, presented 100 years earlier as our first President neared the end of his second term. During the 130 years of this tradition, seven Virginia Senators have preceded me in reading the Address, which was written by the archetypal son of our Commonwealth, with the assistance of close confidants Alexander Hamilton and another Virginia native son James Madison. Those Virginians who read the Farewell Address on the Senate floor are: John Daniel, Claude Swanson, Carter Glass, John Warner--twice--Paul Trible, Chuck Robb, and George Allen. It is particularly appropriate that this year's reading is delivered in the Senate Chamber hours before President Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union Address in the House Chamber. Washington's words demonstrate the mixture of wisdom, patriotism, and selflessness that should serve as a model for all Presidents and set the expectations for all Americans for how a President should approach the sacred trust of serving as America's Chief Executive.”