“Today, the music of the march, the harmony of the civil rights movement, the notes of Dr. King’s inspirational words must continue to inspire us to compose, as Dr. King said in his words on that August afternoon, ‘a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.’”

“As we move forward in our work to strengthen the middle class, we must ensure that a higher education is not just a luxury for the few, but an opportunity for all. By expanding the educational opportunities for every student, we will spur job growth, strengthen our economy, and guarantee a bright and boundless future for our country.”

“We can only hope those reports prove true. We hope that progress is made toward an agreement that puts an end to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and advances the cause of peace and security in the Middle East and around the world. Until that day comes, the Congress must continue to apply pressure. We must pursue all avenues of diplomacy and international leadership.”

“It would be bad enough for Republicans to vote to put insurance companies back in charge of Americans’ health care; to make matters worse, they continue to support the Ryan budget to end the Medicare guarantee and make seniors pay more. Americans deserve better. Today, 48 years after Medicare became the law of the land, we must work together to ensure it remains strong for seniors today and generations to come.”

“For too long, Republicans in Congress have ignored, deferred, or rejected every opportunity to put the well-being of the American people before their partisan political games. It is time for House Republicans to work with the President and House Democrats to advance an economic agenda that responsibly reduces our deficit, invests in our workforce, and guarantees a robust, thriving economy for future generations.”

“Now, before I yield to Mr. Clyburn, I want to say how honored I am that all of our colleagues are here. Our Vice Chair of the House Democratic – I mean the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Mr. Becerra and our Ranking Member, once and future Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers. With that I want to thank Mr. Clyburn for his extraordinary leadership on this issue over decades and pass the microphone to him. Thank you so much.”

“Now, she happily joins her husband, Hale, and her daughter, Barbara, both of whom she has sadly missed. I hope it is a comfort to the Boggs family that so many people in the world mourn their loss and appreciate the life of Lindy Boggs.”

“Republicans have little to show for their efforts as they prepare to head home for the month of August. Their record is defined more by what they have failed to do than what they have achieved – with no jobs bills, no budget agreement, and no solutions for the middle class.”

“…the House of Representatives considered an amendment offered by Representatives Amash and Conyers to H.R. 2397, the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Appropriations bill. The Amash-Conyers amendment would have limited NSA’s ability to collect bulk telecommunications records pursuant to Section 215 of the Patriot Act as codified in Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).”

“With the Obama Administration taking the lead, now is the time for Congress to act. Whether Democrat or Republican, no Member of Congress can afford to ignore the droughts, wildfires, and storms growing in intensity and decimating our communities each year. None of us can ignore the increase in childhood asthma or deny basic science simply to protect the bottom line of Big Oil. We must enact far-reaching legislation to cut pollution, expand clean energy jobs, boost our economy, and address the challenge of climate change once and for all.”