Legislative Approval Quotes



Despite having passed the House and a majority of the Senate favoring McCain’s bill, a filibuster was led by a few holdouts from his own party. Patiently, McCain assembled sufficient Senate support to break the filibuster.


President Eisenhower was asked if there was any danger of the country getting inadvertently drawn into a war in Vietnam as the result of sending military "advisors":


1st Earl of Oxford. Technically the title of Prime Minister was then non-existent, but he performed the function. Unlike America where the Chief Executive is elected for fixed 4 year terms, in England and other parliamentary democracies, if the Prime Minister cannot command a majority of the Praliament, he has to call new elections. Even if he cannot maintain the majority of his own party, he can be replaced by a simple vote of the members of the parliament of his own party. Margaret Thatcher for example, was never defeated at the polls in an election. She was thrown out of office by her own party.


There was much New England dissatisfaction with the disproportionate power held by the Southern states as a result of counting three-fifths of the slave population for apportioning Congressional seats. In addition they were disproportionately hurt by the War of 1812 and the Embargo on trade with England. Secession was proposed but failed to get a majority. A number of proposed Constitutional amendments were voted upon. The super-majority herein required would have diminished their vulnerability to Southern power.


This was the President’s original role regarding legislation. However, in the 20th century, Presidents have become more active and suggest laws and often initiate the process and then end it by signing the law that he suggested and shepherded through the Congress. But this was never the vision of the Founding Fathers, but since it is not addressed in the Constitution is not an unconstitutional process.