Political Quotes

“I state the obvious. The Senate has begun debate on a proposed amendment to the Constitution. This is, as it ought to be, a solemn moment in the life of our Constitution, for what we debate today, and I expect in the following weeks, is whether to change, alter, or modify the basic document of governance that we have operated under. Since 1791, the year the Bill of Rights was ratified, Members of Congress have introduced over 10,000 proposed amendments to the Constitution. Admittedly, the new Republican majority is making their weight felt here. We have not only this amendment, but I do not know how many more to amend the Constitution. But there have been over 10,000 proposed amendments to our Constitution. Of those 10,000 since 1791, we in Congress have approved just 22. And, of the 22, just 17 have been ratified by three-quarters of the States and have become part of the Constitution. We stand here again this year confronting one of our most profound constitutional responsibilities as we consider a change in our fundamental charter. It is one of the glories of the U.S. Constitution that it has been so resilient.”