Political Quotes

“Mr. President, there are a lot of inscriptions--famous words, inspirational sayings--that are detailed into and painted onto the walls of the Capitol. One of my favorites, which I think also happens to be one of the shortest, adorns a wall, I believe, on the way into the House Chamber. The saying is attributed to Alexander Hamilton, and it reads, simply: Here, Sir, People Govern. Here, Sir, People Govern. It is purposeful that that quote finds its way onto the walls of the Capitol Building because this is the branch of government that is given primacy by our Founders. It is no coincidence that we are the article I branch. Governing--the process of setting the rules by which the country lives--is supposed to happen here, in the article I branch, the elected wing of American democracy. But as all of my colleagues know, there has been very little governing here happening of late. This Congress--this Senate--has been effectively dead. Here in the Senate, half the normal bills have been passed during this Congress, compared to normal years, and nearly one- third of that legislation that we have finished has just been renaming postal buildings or authorizing commemorative coins. In fact, over the last 2 years, the Senate has spent floor time on a grand total of 20-- 20--pieces of legislation that weren't routine or emergency spending measures. That is less than one bill a month. We are getting paid $170,000 a year to work on one substantive piece of legislation every 30 days.…”