Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this week marks the United States Constitution's 225th anniversary. Our Constitution is a product of realistic compromise and intelligent consensus--a trait, I might add, sorely missing in this Chamber. It lays out the central principles for a democratic government and the rights that citizens can expect to enjoy in that government. With the inclusion of six voting rights amendments, we have formed a more solid democracy. The voting rights amendments fundamentally changed our system of government--outlawing poll taxes in Federal elections, giving ordinary Americans the right to elect their Senators, allowing the citizens of our Nation's Capital to vote for President, and guaranteeing that all Americans--regardless of race, religion, gender, or age--would enjoy these protections. With these protections and these amendments, we affirmed the inherent values of our Constitution and our democracy. The right to vote is still, to this day, the essential piece of our democracy. Think about it. To deny an eligible voter the opportunity to vote is to undermine the very freedom that defines us as a Nation. The right to vote is essential to our democracy. However, while the marches of student demonstrators and religious leaders once drove electoral reform in the United States, a new and dark movement is sweeping across the country.…”