Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from California for coming to the floor. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time. [From Human Events, April 11, 2013] Reagan Would Not Repeat Amnesty Mistake (By Edwin Meese) What would Ronald Reagan do? I can't tell you how many times I have been asked that question, on virtually every issue imaginable. As much as we all want clarity and certainty, I usually refrain from specific answers. That's because it is very difficult to directly translate particular political decisions to another context, in another time. The better way to answer the question--and the way President Reagan himself would approach such questions--is to understand Reagan's principles and how they should apply in today's politics, and review past decisions and consider what lessons they have for us. Immigration is one area where Reagan's principles can guide us, and the lessons are instructive. I was attorney general two decades ago during the debate over what became the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. President Reagan, acting on the recommendation of a bipartisan task force, supported a comprehensive approach to the problem of illegal immigration, including adjusting the status of what was then a relatively small population. Since the Immigration and Naturalization Service was then in the Department of Justice, I had the responsibility for directing the implementation of that plan.…”