Marcia Fudge Quotes

Any staffing changes that disproportionately cut the number of African Americans at CNN - intentionally or otherwise - are an affront to the African American journalism community and to the African American community as a whole.

- Marcia Fudge

Democrats did not lose control of the Senate because African Americans did not vote. Actually, as supported by preliminary exit poll data, the complete opposite is the case. African Americans increased as a proportion of the electorate in 2014 over 2010.

- Marcia Fudge

The Office of Congressional Ethics was created to provide more transparency in the House of Representatives. It was a commendable goal.

- Marcia Fudge

As a trusted institution with brick-and-mortar facilities in every corner of the United States, our public Postal Service is uniquely positioned to serve as a communications, finance, and service hub for the 21st century.

- Marcia Fudge

We respect our elders. There is wisdom that comes from experience, and I am not going to stop learning from wise counsel.

- Marcia Fudge

Congressman Watt has a long history of advocating against predatory lending and the mortgage practices that caused millions of families to lose their homes.

- Marcia Fudge

Before being elected to Congress, I was a mayor, and it's this perspective that makes me certain that Ed FitzGerald is the right kind of leader to get Ohio back on track.

- Marcia Fudge

In too many ways, Ohio is being run for the benefit of those who have already made it, and too many of our friends and neighbors are being left behind. Nowhere is this more evident than in the cuts to police officers, firefighters, nurses, teachers, and to our local schools, while property and sales taxes are going up.

- Marcia Fudge

I cannot support a measure that chooses to protect some women and not others.

- Marcia Fudge

The 2012 superstorm known as Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc beyond the Eastern Seaboard and reached Northeast Ohio as well, with heavy rain, wind gusts of nearly 70 miles per hour and waves on Lake Erie reaching 15 to 18 feet.

- Marcia Fudge

There is this real divisive theory that if we allow more immigrants to come into this country, that they're going to take our jobs. It is simply not true. Every person I know who wants to work in a hotel and change sheets can do it.

- Marcia Fudge

I especially remain firmly opposed to a nuclear Iran and will review all related policies and proposed actions from that position.

- Marcia Fudge

We must combat ill-advised conservative-led state legislation by encouraging every eligible person you know to vote.

- Marcia Fudge

There was a close relationship between Mandela and the CBC.

- Marcia Fudge

For those who may not know, it was the CBC that put in place the legislation that put sanctions against South Africa to end apartheid, and that took Mandela off the terrorist list.

- Marcia Fudge

I ask for calm yet resolute voices to be heard in our communities. It is imperative that people of good will, those who believe in a just and fair criminal justice system, hear our voices.

- Marcia Fudge

The fact that our country, the greatest country in the world, remains mired in race relations issues in the year 2014 is an embarrassment.

- Marcia Fudge

U.S. trade policy is not just about the relationship between our nation and other countries. It is part of a larger conversation about living wage, consumer protection, job security, and a better quality of life for all Americans.

- Marcia Fudge

The times when black women have been successful in confronting and overcoming the structural and institutional sexism and racism that persists in our society have been when we are thoughtful and strategic about speaking up. It's when we've done what it takes to introduce and implement our ideas and our plans to make things better.

- Marcia Fudge

Unfortunately, my colleagues in Congress have unfairly burdened the Postal Service with a costly, unfunded mandate to pre-pay health care for retirees. No other agency or business has to pay these costs in advance - and neither should the Postal Service.

- Marcia Fudge

We need to address hunger, job training, justice. I can't do it alone. We need to elect people who understand the urgency.

- Marcia Fudge

Ethnic sensitivity both on-camera and behind it demonstrates a corporate understanding of the benefits of diversity and a genuine respect for the audiences' needs.

- Marcia Fudge

It's troubling that by eliminating weekend voting hours, the state of Ohio specifically banned a popular voting time of choice for minorities. In Cuyahoga County, which I represent, 56 percent of weekend voters in 2008 were African American while adult African Americans comprise 28 percent of the county population.

- Marcia Fudge

More than a quarter of mortgage borrowers are underwater, and 11 percent of all homes are vacant.

- Marcia Fudge

Inviting a foreign head of state to address the Congress is a clear breach of protocol and practice, and undermines the U.S. presidency.

- Marcia Fudge

I am going to be respectful of you, and I want you to be respectful of me. We are all Democrats, and we need to act like it.

- Marcia Fudge

I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, which has one of the largest Jewish populations in a single district in the state of Ohio and almost anyplace else in the United States.

- Marcia Fudge

We have a community where almost 50 percent of the people in the city of Cleveland alone have some type of record. I represent one of the poorest districts in America - out of 435, I'm 422.

- Marcia Fudge

I'm not about sound bites. I'm about substance.

- Marcia Fudge

The PHYSICAL Act gives our schools the flexibility they need to give physical education the attention it deserves in promoting our children's well-being.

- Marcia Fudge

This is not about race or affiliation, and it isn't about black versus blue. All lives matter.

- Marcia Fudge

We are at a point in our nation's history when the right leadership is needed more than ever. Hillary has spent her life advocating for poor and working class families. Hillary will help build an economy for tomorrow and beyond; strengthen America's families; defend our country and its core values; and revitalize our democracy.

- Marcia Fudge

I think what we do really want to do is make sure that we take chemical weapons away from Syrians. And I do as well believe that because of the threats that have come from the United States, that Russia and Syria both understand that there needs to be some action.

- Marcia Fudge

If we lower the payroll tax, will Americans let us raise it again? I don't think so.

- Marcia Fudge

Promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging fitness are so important for our children's development and reducing the nation's epidemic of childhood obesity.

- Marcia Fudge

The absence of diverse voices leads to policies and programs that adversely impact African-Americans.

- Marcia Fudge

In a nation growing increasingly more diverse, it is imperative that the organizations tasked with keeping us informed reflect the same diversity.

- Marcia Fudge

There are corporations in this nation, some of the biggest corporations in this nation, who do not pay taxes.

- Marcia Fudge

As a founder and most senior member of the CBC, John Conyers has been an advocate for the Congressional Black Caucus and a respected leader in the House of Representatives.

- Marcia Fudge

The Ferguson Grand Jury's decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown is a miscarriage of justice. It is a slap in the face to Americans nationwide who continue to hope and believe that justice will prevail.

- Marcia Fudge

You make budget cuts based on what you want to accomplish. You have to decide what is our priority going forward as a country. You cannot do it on the backs of any one group of people... There has to be some balance.

- Marcia Fudge

All artists deserve compensation for their work, including musicians.

- Marcia Fudge

Anyone that I know who wants to work in these fields by the sweat of their brow, the bend of their back, picking lettuce and fruit, can do it. We don't want those jobs. Let's be real about that.

- Marcia Fudge

We need to have a discussion on race, but we also need to have a discussion on how we are treating poor and minority people in this country.

- Marcia Fudge

This country must break the cycle of childhood obesity. Unless we reverse course, this epidemic will continue to put more of our children and the future of our nation at risk.

- Marcia Fudge

I don't believe this nation will elect a socialist.

- Marcia Fudge

I think calling what Paul Ryan is doing a 'budget' is lending some validity to it. It is not a budget. If it were a budget, he could justify his revenue projections, he could justify his cuts, and he can't. This is a scheme to rob the poor and give to the rich.

- Marcia Fudge

As Americans, we should all convey our thanks to the brave men and women who have selflessly and courageously served our nation.

- Marcia Fudge

I'm a very direct person just generally. I don't use a lot of words unnecessarily. I try to get to the heart of the issue, address it and go on to the next thing.

- Marcia Fudge

I don't use a lot of words unnecessarily.

- Marcia Fudge

It is our job, our responsibility as their representatives to help them. If we choose not to do that, we should not be their representatives.

- Marcia Fudge

It's important to know enough about all of the candidates to make an informed choice, and our candidate is Hillary Clinton.

- Marcia Fudge

If we are to learn anything from the tragic death of Michael Brown, we must first acknowledge that we have a race issue we are not addressing.

- Marcia Fudge

As chair of the CBC, I will do all I can to be supportive of Congressman Conyers.

- Marcia Fudge

Historically, people of color and the Diaspora have been at the bottom of the barrel, even as it relates to immigration. If we don't engage in the discussion, then what is it that we're saying to people? That we don't care?

- Marcia Fudge

I do have a very large Jewish population, so it's not unusual that I would be interested in being a part of discussions and finding out what's going on in Israel.

- Marcia Fudge

As utility companies work to achieve full compliance with clean water standards, Congress must ensure our nation's most vulnerable are not priced out of life's most essential resource.

- Marcia Fudge

As members of Congress, we may disagree with the administration's position on foreign policy matters, but the fact remains: the Executive Branch is tasked with handling diplomatic matters.

- Marcia Fudge

I thank Secretary Clinton and her team for recommending me to serve as the permanent chair of the 2016 Democratic National Convention. It is an honor for me and the people of Ohio. I am happy to serve and look forward to a great convention and our ongoing efforts as we work together for a strong party and a successful election.

- Marcia Fudge

If Paul Ryan wants to talk about the soul of America, I ask him to look into his own soul. Because if he is saying we have no soul, he certainly has a hole in his. He needs to understand that every single person in this country has a right to expect that their government will take care of them in their greatest need.

- Marcia Fudge

Civil rights is unfinished business. Make it your business.

- Marcia Fudge

Civil rights in this country is unfinished business, and racism is alive and well.

- Marcia Fudge

I just believe in common courtesy.

- Marcia Fudge

I am certainly humbled to receive the American Voice Award and join the ranks of so many people that I admire.

- Marcia Fudge

Men and women wonder if merely walking or driving justifies being followed, stopped, or questioned. This practice and the presumption of guilt so often associated with people of color must come to an end.

- Marcia Fudge

We need to tell the American public the truth. We need to let them know they're not the only ones struggling.

- Marcia Fudge

I do believe that if there is some way that we can find a diplomatic way to address the atrocities in Syria, I think that we should move forward with all due speed to make sure that it is something that is credible.

- Marcia Fudge

We've lost our way if we turn our backs on millions of Americans in need.

- Marcia Fudge

It's our moral obligation, as well as, I believe, it is the government's obligation to take care of its people.

- Marcia Fudge

Black lives do matter, and our lives do hold value.

- Marcia Fudge

We'd rather pay farmers millions of dollars not to grow crops than to feed children.

- Marcia Fudge

You would be amazed how many people call my office looking for work every day.

- Marcia Fudge

Our ultimate goal is that Iran never have a nuclear bomb.

- Marcia Fudge

We have to let young people know that we care about them and their future. I want to involve them to a level where they become the leaders and the advocates because, right now, a lot of these young people don't believe they have an advocate.

- Marcia Fudge

We're going to do things that are going to make this country better and reduce the cost of health care.

- Marcia Fudge

If leadership is something that is in-your-face, then that is a different type of leadership.

- Marcia Fudge

I'm a very direct person just generally.

- Marcia Fudge

Our economic, civil, and constitutional rights are being challenged and, frankly, they are being lost.

- Marcia Fudge

A nation cannot be truly great without a moral compass.

- Marcia Fudge

I want to raise up the next generation of young people who are going to run this community. I need for them to understand government and how it works.

- Marcia Fudge

I've never been one to try to find a niche for myself. I've always tried to wait and see what comes.

- Marcia Fudge

Faith and service to others were pillars in Rev. DeBose's life. I knew him as a very kind person and an outstanding public servant.

- Marcia Fudge

At present, our country needs women's idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.

- Marcia Fudge

Remnants of the foreclosure crisis linger everywhere.

- Marcia Fudge

Where was the closure for Michael Brown's parents?

- Marcia Fudge

I've been impressed, obviously, with what Israel has done over the years, as it related to technology, agriculture, research in general.

- Marcia Fudge

To put it simply, my support of Israel will be just as strong the day after Prime Minister Netanyahu's address as it is today.

- Marcia Fudge

Any time something goes wrong, Republicans pick on women and minorities.

- Marcia Fudge

Having been a mayor, we prioritized based on where we want our city and our country to go.

- Marcia Fudge

I try to get to the heart of the issue, address it, and go on to the next thing.

- Marcia Fudge

We need to get involved in things that are important to other countries, just as we expect them to participate in things that are important to us.

- Marcia Fudge

In order to govern, you have to win.

- Marcia Fudge

We are world leaders, and we need to act like it.

- Marcia Fudge

The most important thing is you have to want to do something for somebody other than yourself.

- Marcia Fudge