Political Quotes

“Mr. Chief Justice, I have a message to be sent to the desk, a question. It is on my behalf and on behalf of Senator Rubio, Senator Crapo, and Senator Risch. The CHIEF JUSTICE. Thank you. The question from Senators Moran, Crapo, Rubio, and Risch for the counsel for the President reads as follows: Impeachment and removal are dramatic and consequential responses to Presidential conduct, especially in an election year with a highly divided citizenry. Yet checks and balances is an important constitutional principle. Does the Congress have other means--such as appropriations, confirmations, and oversight hearings--less damaging to our nation? Mr. Counsel PHILBIN. Mr. Chief Justice, Senators, thank you for the question. And yes, Congress has a lot of incremental steps, a lot of means short of impeachment to address friction or conflicts with the executive branch. That was the point that I was making a moment ago with respect to what the Department of Justice has said in litigation today where the absolute immunity for senior advisers--actually, I think it was a different issue in that case. I beg your pardon. But anyway, there is a dispute in that case about information requests, and the point the DOJ was making there is the Constitution requires incremental steps where there is friction between the branches. As I mentioned the other day, friction between the branches--between Congress and the executive--on information requests in particular is part of the constitutional design.…”