Legislative Independence Quotes

Congressmen take an independent oath to protect and defend the Constitution. They work with the President; they do not work for the President.

This nation is able to legislate for its own people on every question, without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation on earth.

… no line … can be drawn between the supreme authority of Parliament and the total independence of the colonies: it is impossible that there should be two independent legislatures in one and the same state.

If for no other reason, personal pride should prompt every governor and state legislator to take a secessionist attitude; they were not elected to be lackeys of the federal bureaucracy.

[Then a congressman:] Were I President, I should desire the legislation of the country to rest with Congress, uninfluenced by the executive in its origin or progress.

The most important benefit that I can confer on the country by my Presidency is to insist upon the entire independence of the executive and legislative branches of government

The independence of the legislative arm must be respected. I had little taste for forcing Congressional action.

You are no Parliament. You are no Parliament! .... It is not fit that you sit here any longer! You should now give place to better men.

Government is not a bottom line enterprise. You can get yourself elected ... but you can't fire the legislature if they won't do what you want.

The framers of our Constitution came up with two major contributions to the art of government. The first was the idea of an executive not dependent on the political support of the legislature. The second was the idea of the judiciary independent of the executive and legislative branches.

The Congress of the United States says to the people of Puerto Rico, once and for all, that they are a part of the United States domain and will always remain there; that the legislation for independence in Puerto Rico must come to a decided and permanent end.

I think it's very important for people who are serving (in office) to make sure there's a separation of church and state.

No law can give Congress a backbone if it refuses to stand off as the coequal branch the Constitution made it.

The legislative body possesses with us a great advantage over that of those countries where it may be adjourned or dissolved at the pleasure of the executive authority. It is self-moving and self-dependent. Although it may be convened by the executive, it cannot be adjourned or dissolved by it.

No check is necessary on a Legislature composed as the national Legislature would be, with two branches—an upper and a lower House.

It is a breach of order in debate to notice what has been said on the same subject in the other House, or the particular votes or majorities on it there, because the opinion of each house should be left to its own independency, not to be influenced by the proceedings of the other; and the quoting them might beget reflections leading to a misunderstanding between the two Houses.

Although I am still in favour of a National Government in these difficult times, and shall probably be found in the great majority of cases in the Government Lobby, there are some issues that have arisen, or are likely to arise, upon which I am unable to give the Government the support which it has, perhaps, the right to expect from those receiving the Government Whip. It occurs to me, therefore, that it would perhaps be more satisfactory if I was no longer regarded as being among the supporters of the present Administration.

The principles of a free constitution are irrecoverably lost when the legislative power is nominated by the executive.

After Brexit, the E.U. will no longer legislate for us. All laws will be passed by the U.K. parliament and the devolved legislatures. Parliament will be truly sovereign, with the freedom to accept or reject any new rules.

My tenure in the Senate was really as an independent and whichever, regardless of party label.

The Executive is as independent of either House of Congress as either House of Congress is independent of him, and they cannot call for the records of his actions, or the action of his officers against his consent, any more than he can call for any of the journals or records of the House or Senate.

Joint hearings ... destroy the check and balance that we have by having a House and Senate act independently.

It would be improper to put it in the power of any Man to negative a Law passed by the Legislature because it would give him the control of the Legislature

There is a character of mind which does not look up to any one; which thinks no other person's opinion much better than its own, or nearly so good as that of a hundred or a thousand persons like itself. Where this is the turn of mind of the electors, they will elect no one who is not or at least who does not profess to be, the image of their own sentiments, and will continue him no longer than while he reflects those sentiments in his conduct.

[Legislators] can have no power to transfer their authority of making laws and place it in the hands of others.