Quotes About Legislation

Gradually, the unthinkable becomes tolerable, then acceptable, then legal, then praised.

T]he art of the legislator is not to make a people free, but free enough...

The Senate was the home of governmental sclerosis.

Most Canadians don't understand the House of Commons. They turn on their televisions, see us yelling at one another, and dismiss us as a bunch of fools.

Congress also should change the federal civil rights statute, 42 U.S. Code Section 1983, to hold cities liable for the misconduct of their police officers.

legislation was passed to afford a federal right in federal courts because, by reason of prejudice, passion, neglect, intolerance, or otherwise," states were likely to violate constitutional rights, and hence a federal forum was needed to enforce the Constitution.4

Reform or no reform, he never ceased to promote the interests of St. Denis and the Royal House of France with the same naive, and in his case not entirely unjustified, conviction of their identity with those of the nation and with the Will of God as a modern oil or steel magnate may promote legislation favorable to his company and to his bank as something beneficial to the welfare of this country and to the progress of mankind.

More than two hundred antilynching bills were introduced to the U.S. Congress during the twentieth century, but none were passed. Seven presidents lobbied for antilynching legislation, and the House of Representatives passed three separate measures, each of which was blocked by the Senate.

In Congress, I was a relentless advocate for fiscal responsibility.

So, all levels of government should be working on tax relief. That's important.

Congress cannot be allowed to impose burdens on the American people while relieving its own members of those burdens.

The Koran and the laws of all civilized nations legislate against the vilification of religions.

Once you attempt legislation upon religious grounds, you open the way for every kind of intolerance and religious persecution.

Regrettably, the Obama administration has chosen to take a lackadaisical approach to religious freedom, and allowed IRFA to fade into the background.

Given the divisiveness and pain that have accompanied several state religious freedom laws, I approach attempts at legislating religious exceptions to anti-discrimination laws with great sensitivity and care.

I wouldn't approach the issue of judging in the way the president does. Judges can't rely on what's in their heart. They don't determine the law. Congress makes the law. The job of a judge is to apply the law.

When it comes to revamping our bail laws, we can't rely on judicial discretion alone.

We rely on the rule of law. I think we've lost touch with that concept in Washington.

Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books.

The Pentagon got fed up with its recruits getting ripped off by payday lenders and in 2007 got Congress to make it illegal to extend such loans to members of the military. But civilians remain fair game.

A judge's role is to ensure that the legislature remains within the limits of its assigned authority under the Constitution. Judges have no authority to second-guess the wisdom of the value judgments and policy choices the legislature has made.

As long as U.K. remains member of the E.U., it should respect the E.U. law.

In the first place I remark that no human law is perfect in its construction or execution.

I've seen Congress do some remarkable things within a short period of time.