Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this evening the Senate will proceed to a vote on a well-qualified nominee for the seat vacated by Justice Alito when he was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Two weeks ago, I came to the floor to address one of the latest Supreme Court cases where Justice Alito's vote was both decisive and divisive. The decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a 5 to 4, and it illustrates how the change in just one justice on the Supreme Court can have serious consequences for hardworking Americans and for our democracy. This controversial decision is receiving much attention for its conservative activism, its lack of deference to the elected branches, and its disregard for the rule of law. With the stroke of a pen, five Justices overturned a century of law to permit corporations to overwhelm and distort the democratic process. The five Justices in the activist conservative bloc reached out to grant corporations rights that were once reserved for individual Americans. This divisive decision puts the special interests of big oil, banks and insurance companies ahead of the interests of the American people. I believe that corporations are not the same as individual Americans. This is certainly true in the context of the rights and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution. Corporations do not have the same rights, the same morals, the same ideals. Corporations cannot vote in our democracy.…”