Political Quotes

“I thank the Senator from Alaska and the Senator from Washington for their work on this legislation. I rise today to say a few words about my amendment to the proposed Keystone Pipeline bill, an amendment that will be coming up for a vote in a few minutes. I wish to thank Senators Bennet, Carper, Leahy, Menendez, Murphy, Warren, and Whitehouse for cosponsoring this amendment. This amendment is extremely simple. It is about 1 page and I will read it in a moment. It raises a very profound question as to how we implement public policy, not just on issues related to climate but on issues in general. The question is: As we go forward, tackling the very difficult problems facing our country and the world, to whom do we listen? Whose advice do we take as we proceed? I would argue that historically and appropriately, what we do as a nation is we listen to the experts. That is what we do. I think in this debate, when we deal with the Keystone Pipeline and when we deal with the issue of climate change, it is absolutely appropriate that we listen to what the overwhelming percentage of scientists are telling us. I hear some of my colleagues say, This is complicated and I am not a scientist; I don't know. Let me be very frank. I am not a scientist and I did not do terribly well in biology and in physics in college, but I can read. And I can listen and understand what the scientific community is saying on this issue.…”