Quotes about Legislative Override

Henry Charles Carey

The Executive [Abraham Lincoln] is frequently compelled to affix his signature to bills of the highest importance, much of which he regards as wholly at war with the national interests.

America’s first political economist. This is a wonderful quotation which shows the compromises that even a great president like Abraham Lincoln had to act when Congress passed must have bills.

Trey Gowdy

What do we do with a president who can basically change what Congress passed by attaching a letter saying I don't agree with this part or that part?

Iroquois Nation

If through any misunderstanding or obstinacy on the part of the Fire Keepers, they render a decision at variance with that of the Two Houses, the Two Houses shall reconsider the matter and if their decisions are jointly the same as before, they shall report to the Fire Keepers who are then compelled to confirm their joint decision

When whites first came to America, the Iroquois, were the most sophisticated Native Americans. They were actually a confederation of 5 different tribes each of which was composed if many clans. Although fierce warriors, they had agreed not to fight each other and to assist if any were attacked. They developed a strong agricultural base, to go with the fishing and hunting, and their confederation were very aggressive and sophisticated traders taking them far from their upstate New York “capitol.” Their governmental structure was quite sophisticated with an elaborate, formal, system of checks and balances, multi-cameral legislatures that recognized numbers of citizens, power and wealth, and even cultural traditions. They were literate, capitalistic and globalistic in that they wanted to trade with all. They had written laws, and women had a role that was unique in world history in that only women owned property in a matrilineal society. Further, it was only the Clan Mothers who voted for the 50 Sachems (~Senators)—but their selections had to be accepted by the people they represented. Ironically the descendants of the Iroquois who remained in New York became a very successful Native American group. In the 2000 census, the average Indian in New York State earned the same income as the average White with no Indian gambling money.

Bill Flores

If you read the Senate rules, there are provisions where the Senate parliamentarian can be overridden.

Eliot Spitzer

[…] over the past decade, we’ve argued in court in favor of administrative latitude in decision-making. Now, by asserting the primacy of states rights, we’re flipping that argument on its head. How do we go back to all these cases where we’ve been arguing for executive discretion and say, “Oops, we didn’t mean it”?

Commenting on the legal defense of executive actions by the Obama Administration and how it applies to contesting similar executive actions by Donald Trump…

Erik Paulsen

Any law can be changed, obviously, at any time.

Will Rogers

Ohio was voted wet by the people and dry by its misrepresentatives.

“Wets” were opposed to Prohibition while “drys” were in favor. The Ohio legislature ratified the 18th amendment to the Constitution enacting Prohibition, but in a statewide referendum, the people voted against it. The Supreme Court ruled that regardless of the will of the populace, it is only the legislature that could ratify or not ratify a Constitutional amendment passed by Congress.

Tom Rice

President Obama has adopted a practice of picking and choosing which laws he wants to enforce. In most cases, his laws of choice conveniently coincide with his administration's political agenda.

Sam Ervin

[Impoundment has become] a means whereby the White House can give effect to social goals of its own choosing by reallocating national resources in contravention of congressional dictates.

Gretchen Helmke

Judges tend to support the current government not because they necessarily share its views, but because they wish to avoid a worse outcome in which the Congress overrides their decisions.

In many nations, there is little judicial independence from the government. Judicial decisions that thwart government sometimes produce retaliation ranging from reducing the pay or staff of judges, threatened investigations and impeachment even arrest and execution---sometimes by government ‘death squads’. Even in the United States, the beginning of the 21st century, was fraught with so many examples of judicial intimidation threats, that two Supreme Court justices began speaking throughout the country to educate the public to this problem. In general, the more democratic and free a nation is, the more frequently the courts will disallow activities of the executive and even the legislature.

John Fleming

Whenever there's a bad law, it can be repealed or nullified.

George Deukmejian

The Supreme Court, or any court, when they make a decision, if that's a published
decision, it becomes virtually like a statute. Everybody is suppose to follow that law. Whether I decide to allow a law to become a law without my signature is simply
in effect expressing a view that while I don't particularly care for this, the Legislature passed it, it was an overwhelming.
vote, or maybe there were other reasons. But
my decision not to sign doesn't have to be followed by
everybody from that point on

Iceland

The President may be removed from office before his term expires if approved by a majority vote in a plebiscite called pursuant to a resolution adopted by three-fourths of the Members of Althingi [the Parliament.]

The Islandic impeachment process requires that the voters make the final decision as to the charges against the President. However, unlike some American “recall” states, the voters may not initiate a plebiscite; it must be initiated by the legislature with a ¾ majority.

Tim Kaine

The thing about an executive order - there has never been an executive order that a Congress couldn't say, "You know, we don't like that so we're going to do something else," if there is a majority in Congress to do something else.

Legislative Override Quotes