US House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
In the midst of defending the Obama Administration’s health care reform ideas, Sixth District Congressman Jim Clyburn took some time to pay tribute to longtime Senator Ted Kennedy, who was laid to rest this past week. Clyburn says Senator Kennedy was known for connecting both parties to get things done.
“There are things that other people, other communities might see differently. And so I have learned a lot from him. In fact, I count among my great friends in Congress people like Orin Hatch on the Senate side. We have a lot of things we don’t agree on, but there is so much that we fundamentally agree on,” says Clyburn.
As Majority Whip in the House, Clyburn is charged with rallying votes on Democrat-supported issues. He worked closely with Kennedy on issues such as raising the minimum wage. He says members of Congress are not as divided as they might seem, however.
“We are all Americans; we are all trying to do what’s right by our constituents. We are all about making a good future for our children and grandchildren,” he says. “And though we may have different ways, different approaches, the fact still remains, the end goal is the same for all of us.”
Senator Kennedy was buried at Arlington National Cemetery late Saturday.
