Political Quotes

“this is the fourth time that I have been on the floor on this subject since I came here 6 years ago. I am in my seventh year now. We have come within 12 votes one year, 9 votes one year, and, I think, even 7 votes one time, and I want to commend the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Stenholm] and the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Schaefer] for bringing once again, I think, a workable solution to our problems. Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, once said, ``A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it does, of necessity, fly to anarchy or to despotism.'' I think, if he were here today, he would say the same thing. What he said was, in my words: There must be a clear, cogent and compelling reason to disregard this most basic premise of democracy: majority rules. Over the past 25 years, Mr. Chairman, a clear willingness to borrow from tomorrow for today's gratifications has been shown by administrations, Democrat and Republican, by Congresses, Democrat and Republican, and the American people. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I think circumstances justify, or maybe even demand, a three-fifths requirement for a supermajority to borrow money as it relates to our national debt and to place such a restraint in our most basic document of government, the United States Constitution.”