Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in paying tribute to a great man much beloved around the country, including in my home state of Wisconsin: I speak of Ron Gettelfinger. Anyone who has ever needed a friend knows the difference between the fair-weather friend and the friend who stands by you in your time of need. Ron Gettelfinger has stood by his UAW brothers and sisters in their time of need. When my constituents talk about Ron, they talk about him as a fighter for working men and women. Over the past 8 years, while he served as the president of the United Auto Workers, Ron saw the auto industry challenged as never before. He saw its workers beaten down. Hundreds of my constituents lost their jobs when the GM plant in Janesville, Wisconsin closed down. Ron and the UAW stood by those workers, providing them with support, assistance and advocacy to bridge the gap to new employment. But Ron didn't just stand by the workers without jobs--he knew something needed to be done to stop the bleeding and help save the auto industry. So he did the unpopular thing, and helped renegotiate General Motors contract with the auto workers. It was such a difficult decision in a difficult time--but we are beginning to see the positive results from it now. The auto industry seems to be turning around. As president of the UAW, Ron has been a champion for all American workers.…”