Legislative Solutions Quotes

If a senator calls me up and asks me what should we do in Iraq, I'm happy to talk to him.

One big reason liberals come across as intolerant of ordinary Americans today is their preference for court decisions and regulatory mandates over democratically debated and approved legislation. This preference for working around the people’s elected representatives feeds all-or-nothing outcomes that are devoid of the accommodations and compromises which almost always feature in any legislative solution. It is these accommodations and compromises, moreover, that help make the outcome acceptable even to the losing side.

I'm hoping that we're not getting to Second Amendment remedies. I hope the vote will be the cure for the Harry Reid problems.

One cannot legislate problems out of existence. It has been tried.

We believe that a society in turmoil cannot be saved through mere legislation.

I love the 'Daily Show,' and I think Jon Stewart is hysterical. But literally, the answer to every single problem is, 'Congress should pass a new law.' It's this unbelievably optimistic view of, 'We can pass a law, and then everybody will get along.'

Here's the thing Washington always misses. Washington always wants a deal. America wants a solution. Americans sent us here to solve problems.

We have the power, as lawmakers, to find ways to support our young men and identify solutions to the hardships they regularly experience.

These laws were born of the belief that we could legislate ourselves out of war, as we had one legislated ourselves out of the saloons. These laws were an experiment, noble in motive but disastrous in results.

I think that if Republicans are given the reins of leadership in the House or Senate or both, we will have to govern in a way - at least put forward solutions whether or not the president goes along with them or not, that deal with these long-term challenges.

Many people are looking to Washington for answers, but I'm here to tell you, if we wait for the politicians to solve the problems of our day, we will be waiting a long time.

I'll be at the table, as I've been, willing to talk to any Republican who says, 'Look, my country is more important, this pile of bills is not going to go away, the challenges that we have is not going to disappear, we need to cross that divide.' I'm ready. I'm waiting.

I'm an electrical engineer. Honestly, I think we have too many lawyers in Washington. Maybe we need some more engineers. They're trained to solve problems, and we can actually do math, which is a desperately needed skill back there.

The problems of the President of the United States are not susceptible to scientific treatment.

That there are important defects in the system of the Federal Government is acknowledged by the Acts of all those States, which have concurred in the present Meeting; That the defects, upon a closer examination, may be found greater and more numerous, than even these acts imply, is at least so far probable, from the embarrassments which characterize the present State of our national affairs, foreign and domestic, as may reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and candid discussion, in some mode, which will unite the Sentiments and Council's of all the States

Some people seem to believe that for each problem there is a solution readily available - a solution that can be promptly achieved by passing a law and voting some money. I think of this as the vending machine concept of social change. Put a coin in the machine and out comes a piece of candy. If there is a social problem, pass a law and out comes a solution.

Having a Congress with a more diverse educational and professional background would serve the country well. And given the budget challenges facing America today, we might benefit from a few more cold, calculating problem solvers, and fewer courtroom impresarios.

Speaker Newt Gingrich has appointed a task force, which I'm on, and over the next couple months the task force is going to try to come up with legislation that does what we're all trying to do. I feel pretty good about the members that are on the task force.

If you can't legislate, you can't deal with problems.

Most of what I've proposed in Congress grew out of issues raised with me back here in Connecticut.

Joining the Bipartisan Policy Center is a natural extension of my efforts to achieve results throughout my tenure in Congress, and it provides an ideal means for developing strategies that can garner the broad support necessary to achieve real solutions to the challenges confronting our nation.

All of us want to see the details of any legislative plan if there's going to be a legislative response, but Congress, I believe, is in the mood to do whatever it takes to win this war against terrorism.

An equal division of property is impracticable. But the consequences of this enormous inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind, legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing property.

It is the judge's role to resolve grievances and the role of the legislature to supply the answers for the social and economic problems facing the community.

Republicans are listening to America's job creators and working to address their concerns with real solutions.