Charles Boustany Quotes

I have served in the Senate since December 2012 with seats on the Appropriations and Commerce committees and previously served as the lieutenant governor and in the state House. These positions provided me insights on Hawaii's priorities and how to effectively work with stakeholders to achieve meaningful results.

Success can be built on a strong relationship between a lobbyist and a single, powerful lawmaker.

I enjoyed the administrative work because it involved working with Congress, city council, and the mayor. I had never been a politician so it was fun - learning political maneuvering.

Gabby Giffords was a mentor of mine in the state Legislature and also in Congress.

I am looking forward to working with Congressman Hobson and Vorys Advisors to help Ohio businesses and organizations achieve their goals and objectives.

In my years of public service at both the federal and state levels, I have had the privilege of representing most of the communities that make up Congressional District 21, including Hialeah, Westchester, Doral, Kendall, Miami Lakes, Hialeah Gardens, Medley and Palmetto Bay.

My goal is to reach out to communicate every day, whether I'm in Washington or in the congressional district. In Washington, the best opportunity to do that is on the House floor. It's both a responsibility and an opportunity. I enjoy, every day, taking to the House floor to address an issue or event that is significant for constituents.

A senator will come off Capitol Hill and they'll be barred from two years from lobbying in the Senate. So they'll pick the phone up and they'll call their buddy, the senator, their old buddies, and they'll say, 'Listen, I'm here at this law firm now. I can't lobby you, but my new partner, Jack, can lobby you.'

Part of my job is to advocate on my constituents' behalf to federal agencies who aren't always responsive.

I have worked closely with my Democratic allies. Elijah Cummings is a good friend.

I'm honored to have served for 18 years as Arizona's 10th Senator - and for four terms in the House of Representatives before that.

This is my fourth term and my seventh year. My first year was in 1997, the same year for Vic Snyder. It is still exciting to be there even though Washington is not run by Democrats right now, but we are working very hard.

I loved my time in Congress, but people who spend all of their time planning to run for office have very few useful skills to deploy when they finally get there.

If you spend enough time in or around Washington, you'll meet amazing people who work for the government.

It's the job of a special advisor to be the eyes and ears of a minister and it's the job of a corporate lobbyist to represent the best interests of their organization.

We probably had very strong influences, shall we say, on about 100 Congressional offices.

What is interesting in Washington, D.C., is I've never missed a vote. The veterans' committee keeps track of hearings, and I've never missed a hearing or a vote on the VA committee.

I was proud to represent the 11th District of Georgia as a member of Congress for the past 12 years and am excited to now be joining the respected, growing Government & Regulatory Affairs Practice at Drinker Biddle & Reath.

My staff in Washington and in the state will be dedicated to constituent services and the best representation for our state.

During the fall of my junior year, I interned in Intergovernmental Affairs in The White House with a focus on outreach to local elected officials. Although I hated the menial tasks the job required, it gave me a window into the power of local government.

You have to build relationships and learn what are the things that are of interest to other members of Congress, what are the things that folks have been taking a lead on for a really long time.

Our dad was just a congressman for 27 years, and if you live in Washington, D.C., everybody's dad works for the government. We grew up just like everyone else.

Lobbyists are in many cases expert technicians and capable of explaining complex and difficult subjects in a clear, understandable fashion. They engage in personal discussions with Members of Congress in which they can explain in detail the reasons for positions they advocate. Because our congressional representation is based on geographical boundaries, the lobbyists who speak for the various economic, commercial, and other functional interests of this country serve a very useful purpose and have assumed an important role in the legislative process.

As a cosigner of the Veterans' Bill of Rights, I'm committed to making sure that veterans' issues remain a top priority in Congress.

I am joining politics for sure.