Political Quotes

On the recordMay 15, 2013
Madam President, Thomas Jefferson once said: The majority, oppressing an individual, is guilty of a crime, abuses its strength, and by acting on the law of the strongest breaks up the foundations of society. The foundation of this society, this great society based on democracy, is the principle of self-determination and the belief that every American is equal under the law and guaranteed liberty. This principle is ingrained in the character of our Nation, and it is enshrined in our Constitution. Of the many things that set us apart from other nations, there is none greater than the First Amendment to the Constitution--the freedom of religion, the freedom of the press, freedom to assemble and to petition our government, and the freedom of speech. Under the First Amendment, Americans have the right to organize around the issues and values they believe in, and they have the right to disagree with their government. This liberty is part of what energizes our democracy, and it is essential if this democracy is to prevail. That freedom has come under attack recently by our very own government when the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups, including at least one in my home State of Indiana, for extra scrutiny based on their political leanings. The IRS must be nonpartisan. It has to be. It is not a partisan watchdog. Why did the enforcers of our Tax Code target groups with applications that included the words ``tea party,'' ``patriots,'' or ``9/12 Project''?…
Said by
Dan Coats
Republican · Indiana

Share & report

More from Dan Coats

Feb 27, 2017

Agility is critical in this time of rapid technological change.

congress.gov
May 22, 2017

I think those are two very relevant issues that ought to be thought through and policy ought to be devised.

congress.gov
Feb 27, 2017

I do think it's at least worth discussion relative to the situation that might occur where we might have to, hopefully with some special authority, might have to go outside that.

congress.gov

Other voices in this conversation