Political Quotes

On the recordApril 2, 2025
Madam President, I fully support the resolution of Senator Kaine, and I want to make three points. No. 1, should Congress continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibility, ceding it to the Executive? No. 2, I want to talk about the total fantasy--fantasy world--that the Trump economic agenda is grounded in, if you can use the word ``grounded.'' And then, third, I want to talk about how these tariffs will be a dagger in the heart of the Vermont economy. First of all, the question for this institution is, Will we, as the U.S. Senate, accept the responsibility that each and every one of us as Senators has to stand up for the independent authority and responsibility of this institution? As we know, our Constitution was based on the proposition of real suspicion of the accumulation of power in any one entity. What was told to us in the Federalist Papers is what we know: If you have the concentration of power in any institution, that concentration of power leads inevitably to the abuse of power. The design of our Constitution was to have equal and independent branches. And what I am seeing is a lawless rampage on the part of the Executive being accommodated by an appeasing Congress, not standing up for its authority in many different areas, and then also an attack on the judiciary, as though the judges who disagree with an Executive position should be impeached. But our authority over the budget is being abdicated, as we saw in the CR.…
Said by
Peter Welch
Democratic · Vermont

Share & report

More from Peter Welch

Feb 25, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Department of Government Efficency

Congressional Record · 2025-02-25
Feb 20, 2025

Mr. President, I oppose Kash Patel. I believe he is the dangerously wrong choice to serve as Director of the FBI. We all have great admiration for the FBI. The men and women there serve our Nation, do hard work every day. For decades, they…

Congressional Record · 2025-02-20
Mar 6, 2025

Mr. President, I was absent from the Senate on March 3, 2025. Had I been present for rollcall vote No. 99 on the nomination of Linda McMahon, of Connecticut, to be Secretary of Education, I would have voted no. As Secretary, Mrs. McMahon…

Congressional Record · 2025-03-06
Mar 26, 2025

Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues. You know, this issue of the environment is being completely--completely--ignored. Worse than that, the problems we have in our environment are being intensified by what the Trump administration…

Congressional Record · 2025-03-26

Other voices in this conversation