Political Quotes

“In query of the Senator from Nevada, I ask him, I thought I understood the basic difference between Democrats and Republicans, that the so-called Republican conservative philosophy was for fiscal conservatism, avoiding debt. Now we have the largest debt in the history of the United States and getting worse without any effort by the Republicans to deal with it. Traditionally, the Republicans argue the Government is best that governs least and gives power to the local units of government closest to the people. Now we have with this amendment an attempt to amend the Constitution and to preempt the power of the States to establish standards for marriage. I ask the Senator from Nevada: Did we not honor States rights with the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act which said that no State shall be compelled to recognize gay marriage if any State should enact such a law, as Massachusetts has? I ask the Senator from Nevada: Isn't the Defense of Marriage Act consistent with States rights, and isn't the proposed constitutional amendment an assault on the rights of States to establish the standards for marriage which they have throughout our history?”