Political Quotes

“I rise this evening to speak against the Coburn amendment which imposes a moratorium on congressional initiatives for the next 3 years. Mr. President, our Founding Fathers bestowed upon the Congress the authority to ensure that the people's representatives would make the final decision upon spending, not the executive branch. They had lived under a monarchy in which the power of the purse resided with the Executive, and they had no desire to repeat that experience. In short, our Founding Fathers did not want another King, they wanted a President but a President whose power would be held firmly in check by a coequal Congress. None of us should be surprised that President Obama is expressing his opposition to earmarks. A ban on earmarks would serve to strengthen the executive branch of government by empowering the President to make decisions that the Constitution wisely places in the hands of Congress. This is the exact same reason Presidents Clinton and Bush sought the line-item veto during their Presidencies. As I have said many times before, the people of Hawaii did not elect me to serve as a rubberstamp for any administration. Handing over the power of the purse to the executive branch would turn the Constitution on its head. So I must admit, Mr. President, I find it puzzling that some Republicans would want to grant all authority over spending to any President but especially a Democratic President.”