Political Quotes

On the recordJune 10, 2010
I come at this whole proposition from a little different way than perhaps a lot of my colleagues do. All of this debate has been about global warming and about whether we should regulate carbon and how we should do that and what have you. But that is not really the issue on this resolution. This resolution is about the separation of powers. The Constitution of this great land that we all took an oath to uphold is very specific in separating the powers of the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The Founding Fathers wisely separated the different branches so that none could overpower the other. What are we doing here? The movement by the administration and by the Environmental Protection Agency is to take from the legislative branch the power that belongs to the legislative branch. It is obvious in the debate that is going on here that we have deep differences, which we should have, because this is a major policy decision that will affect every single American. It has profound effects on the economy. It has profound effects on the movement of jobs overseas. These are things that should be debated and are things that should be decided by elected persons--not by the people at the EPA, who are not elected and who are not answerable to the electorate.
Said by
Jim Risch
Republican · Idaho

Editor's note · Context

Senator Risch discusses the separation of powers in relation to environmental regulation.

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