Charlie Crist

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this important document as well. Friends, we may have vastly different views on how best to create a more perfect Union, along with different styles and different temperaments, but we all share a commitment and, frankly, a responsibility to bring the voice of the people to Washington, D.C. I am honored to represent much of Pinellas County and my hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, and I promise to fight for the needs of my home. But I pledge to do so in keeping with what is known as the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you. This is a rule that I strive to live by every single day. Poll after poll shows that Floridians and, frankly, all Americans are fed up with the divisiveness and rancor of Washington. As we move forward debating the issues of the day, let us be mindful of the words of President Abraham Lincoln: ``Though passions may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.'' I am proud that our freshman class--yes, this awesome freshman class--has put forward its commitment to civility. It states that, despite our political differences, at the end of the day we must work together to move our country forward, putting people over politics and treating one another with mutual respect and much more grace even when we may disagree. I thank, again, the gentleman from Louisiana and the gentlewoman from California for their leadership and for their friendship, putting people over politics. God bless you all, and God bless America.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 11.