Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Gallagher for his bipartisan leadership on the term limits initiative, and my friend General Bergman for his leadership on this issue. I don't think term limits are a partisan issue. The Economist had an article that the turnover rate in the people's House is less than European monarchies. European nobility turnover is at a faster rate. Incumbency reelection is 96 percent. When folks say, ``Why can't you just vote people out of office,'' it is not looking at the actual statistics. Ninety-six percent of folks here are reelected, and that is not what our Founders intended. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton agreed: ``The security intended to the general liberty consists in the frequent election and in the rotation of the Members of Congress.'' They envisioned a place where people would come, serve, and go back home to their communities. Thomas Jefferson said that people ought to live, lawmakers ought to live under the laws that they pass. The only way we get back to our founding ideals is if we pass some version of term limits so that people do their public service, and then return to the communities where they reside. This bill on term limits is really a move against political dynasty, and that is one thing that this election showed us people really were not for. They don't like the idea of a few families, or people connected, holding the reins of power.…”