Public service was never meant to be an easy living. Extraordinary challenges demand extraordinary leadership.
So if you have come here to see your name in lights or to pass off political victory as accomplishment, you have come to the wrong place. The door is behind you.
If you have come here humbled by the opportunity to serve; if you have come here to be the determined voice of the people; if you have come here to carry the standard of leadership demanded not just by our constituents but by the times, then you have come to the right place.
There is a time to every purpose under Heaven. For the 113th Congress, it is a time to rise. When the day is over, and the verdict is read, may it be said that we well and faithfully did our duty to ensure freedom will endure and prevail.
So help us God.
~ Re-elected House Speaker John Boehner, R-OH
I know all too well that we will not always agree. But I hope, with all my heart that we find common ground that is a higher, better place for our country.
House Minority Leader and Ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California
Being Speaker today is no bargain, I tell you. ...John is really a voice of reason in our conference, despite some of the things I said yesterday.
~ Rep. Peter King, R-NY, on John Boehner, even though the day before King had criticized the Speaker for failing to pass a Hurricane Sandy relief package
(Being Speaker is) a lot like being a caretaker of a cemetery — a lot of people under you but nobody listens.
~ Congressman Hal Rogers, R-Kentucky, stealing a line from Ex-Senator Bill Frist, R-TN
‘Fire Boehner’ GOP’ers Beclown Themselves As Representatives Fail To Agree On Single Protest Candidate
Conservatives in the House have voted for anyone who is basically not Boehner – but few voted for the same protest candidate. Individuals who received votes for Speaker include Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Justin Amash (R-MI), Raul Labrador (R-ID), Eric Cantor, U.S Comptroller General David Walker and even former Rep. Allen West (R-FL).
A number of House Republicans, unsatisfied with any possible protest candidate or simply satisfied in sending a message of noncompliance, abstained from the vote.
~ Mediaite
Just talked to eric cantor on walking into the chamber. Will the speaker win reelection? "Absolutely" he responded
— Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) January 3, 2013
Cantor yells loudly his support Boehner
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) January 3, 2013
Rep. Jim Bridenstine just voted for Eric Cantor as Speaker. Caused a stir in the chamber.
— Daily Kos Elections (@DKElections) January 3, 2013
Another GOP defection: Steve Pearce (R-NM) votes for Eric Cantor for Speaker #swearinginday
— Roll Call Politics (@rollcallpols) January 3, 2013
Freshman GOP Rep. Ted Yoho (Fla) votes for Eric Cantor for #Speaker . That's 3 votes Cantor. #swearinginday
— Roll Call Politics (@rollcallpols) January 3, 2013
Louie Gohmert just voted for Allen West. Eric Cantor's expression is priceless.
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) January 3, 2013
We can’t be about business as usual. It’s time for a change at the top. Congress is so full of brilliant, talented people.
(Gohmert had nothing to lose with the vote because...) I mean already from two years ago, any chairmanship that I might get, I didn’t get. I mean I guess the only one that the Speaker doesn’t have a say in nixing was, I am co-chair of the Thursday morning prayer breakfast Bible study. But other than that…
~ Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-TX on why he voted against John Boehner, and instead voted for Ex-Rep Alan West, R-Florida, who isn't even in the House anymore after losing his race
Hey, Mom, ya done good, Mom.
Hey, Sis, come over here.
You are so beautiful, Holy Mackeral.
God love you.
Spread your legs, you're gonna be frisked.
Anybody else want to be sworn in to the Senate today?
~ Phrases used by a non-politically correct VP Joe Biden
as he was swearing in new Senators
We have women, Hispanics, African-Americans. It's diverse. It looks like our country and hopefully beyond that we will be able to get together and deal with the problems of the country and I think everybody is committed to doing that.
~ Rep Joe Garcia, D-Florida
But I think now we're seeing Congress starting to catch up with where a lot of the rest of the country is and seeing a lot of diversity and representation here that brings different voices to people's house.
~ Rep Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii
I’m certainly aware. I haven’t missed the fact that there is a uniqueness about my presence in the Senate, yes.
Each Senator has the responsibility of representing their state and the nation. That’s plenty of pressure by itself.
~ Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley to replace Jim DeMint. Scott is the first black Senator from the south since Reconstruction, and the ONLY black Senator at this time
I was looking out at what was in front of me. And it was just great. I mean, when I first came here, there were six of us. And today I was just looking out at this roomful of us.
. . . To look at it today and see how it's changed, the colors, the bright colors (of the women's clothing). It looks more like America now.
~ Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash, on the 20 Senate Women sworn in today
That's the first time I've ever been on the Senate floor, literally the first time.
~ Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, about her swearing in ceremony with VP Joe Biden
I know people come with big fancy family Bibles. Mine’s a little more modest.
~ Elizabeth Warren on using her tattered third-grade King James Bible for the swearing in ceremoney
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the first woman elected on her own to the U.S. Senate . . . barely came up to Warren's shoulder as the two embraced on the floor of the upper chamber. Mikulski attached an official Senate pin to the lapel of the incoming senator's pantsuit. Think of it, Mikulski said she told Warren, as "like the Croix de Guerre for all the battles we women have fought."
"Congratulations," Mikulski said, with her eyes watering as she beat her hand against her heart. "You stand here now in the footsteps of so many women who for so long would have liked to have been here, should have been here, but didn't get the shot. You've got the chance. You have a band of sisters. And we're going to not only make history, we're going to change history."
~ Huffington Post
We’re making progress -- 20 and counting. I don’t think we should be satisfied until we have the same number of women in the Senate that represent a percentage of the population.
~ Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri
