U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador told the Senate today that since he's been in Washington, D.C., "My appreciation for the Idaho Legislature has only grown more." Addressing those lawmakers who are retiring this year, he said, "If you are anything like me, you will miss this place greatly. ... I love working here because there is a true sense of duty that transcends party affiliation in the Idaho Legislature. This is not the case in Congress. ... I have seen a sense of duty and service take a back seat to the goal of only scoring political points."

Labrador said, "I enjoyed working with Democrats and Republicans in the Idaho Legislature. ... You don't want Washington-style politics creeping into Idaho."

He said, "As Idaho legislators you have done the difficult work that many of our nation's politicians are unwilling to do. ... Every 12 hours in the federal government, we borrow just over $2 billion, or almost the entire Idaho state budget for a single year. These are almost incomprehensible numbers. ... The future of our great country depends upon all of us working together to nurse this nation back to health."

He concluded, "Together, let's remember, together, let's continue to fight to keep Idaho strong." Labrador is next scheduled to address the House. After his talk, the Senate went back at ease to head back into a closed-door GOP caucus.