Quotes About Oversight

Politicians are good at saying how Government must do more, but we must also think carefully about where Government should do less.

I take care of my positions when they come.

Once again, no one in charge had given any thought to the possibility that a woman would be involved.

I'm in charge of the State Department's 60,000-plus people all over the world, 275 posts.

The central government role is to ensure that what goes on in the school is revealed to parents and potential parents. It is not, absolutely not, to run the school.

We are potentially the most dangerous agency in the country.

There's no reason why the public shouldn't be able to see how billions of pounds are being spent on their behalf.

Power ought to serve as a check to power.

Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people.

It's absolutely right that we scrutinise the leaders who after all are going to be in a position of great power.

All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.

It's Congress' job to keep an eye on the other agencies and the workings of the entire government. It is our constitutional duty.

I want to protect consumers from their government.

If the (British) Arts Council give you money, they also tell you how to spend it.

We count on the FEC to be the public's watchdog.

I knew where people were sleeping in the hallways, you know, instead of doing their job. I knew what systems weren't working.

Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader.

When placed in command, take charge.

Now I have a business, artists to take care of. I want to make sure everything's going right, because at the end of the day, it's my name.

When you have a good director, everything is taken care of.

Without the ability to talk about government power, there's no way for citizens to make sure this power isn't being misused.

Being in a fishbowl, everybody looking at every move you make, talking about everything you do - it's just a hard life to live.

Cliff Stearns talks about what he did to Planned Parenthood, making Solyndra a household name - why didn't he do this sooner? Why didn't he see it coming? It's the oversight committee, not the hindsight committee.

I'm the one who gets called up about a problem. I'm the one who gets called up about the street lighting and the abandoned car. I'm the one who gets blamed if the police don't arrive. I'm the one they blame if a city truck is broken down.