Government Functioning Quotes

Senators are a Constitutional impediment to the smooth functioning of staff.

The mission of the Secret Service (to keep the president of the United States safe and secure) is, by its very nature, pivotal to the proper functioning of the country, and any failure to accomplish this mission has the potential to cause an immediate international crisis.

Before the nineteen-seventies, most Republicans in Washington accepted the institutions of the welfare state, and most Democrats agreed with the logic of the Cold War. Despite the passions over various issues, government functioned pretty well. Legislators routinely crossed party lines when they voted, and when they drank; filibusters in the Senate were reserved for the biggest bills; think tanks produced independent research, not partisan talking points. The "D." or "R." after a politician's name did not tell you what he thought about everything, or everything you thought about him.

In politics, acceptability plays very important role. On one hand, acceptability among the coalition partners is required for smooth functioning of the government. On the other hand, acceptability among the people is needed to run the country.

We can't change the way Washington works unless we first change how Congress works.

Bipartisanship is “the oil of national government.”

We sometimes miss the inner working of government….most people wander around, make mistakes, and put on their pants just the way we do…. It’s not all this big conspiracy.

Governing in a polarized society means, making bipartisan deals.

For me, appropriations bills are the glue. These are the bills that must move, no matter what, to keep the government functioning as a reliable element of our society. The Appropriations Committee shouldn't be the most political place to be; it's the place where we have to make the institution function for the country.

From an institution standpoint, I want the American people to understand that the Senate can function, even on the most serious things.

I believe people who go into politics want to do the right thing. And then they hit a big wall of re-election and the pettiness of politics. In the end, politics gets in the way of the business of people.

Truth is the glue that holds government together. Compromise is the oil that makes governments go.

There should be some other provisions in the Constitution whereby if the Government is not functioning well, it can be dealt with. In a parliamentary democracy, this should be done only by Parliament. The prime minister should be answerable only to Parliament and it should only be Parliament that can install him or remove him.

I've been a political junkie for a long time. I find the way Washington works is just fascinating to me.

Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government, it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare — most people want to run things, but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat driver” syndrome.

I think it's important for the people to see the government is functioning.

We've got to have a functioning government.

Members of Congress are never in town any more. They’re so busy raising money that they leave Thursday night and don’t return till Monday night. Tuesday through Thursday are now long days, so there is no time anymore for bipartisan socialization.

With the exception of members of Congress and their families, and instructors in civics and constitutional lawyers, I do not believe there are two percent of the American people who know that a member of Congress is elected one year and does not take his office until 13 months afterwards.

The court's recent decisions have made life more difficult for the democratic institutions that perform the day- to-day work of our nation.