John Conyers Quotes (91 Quotes)

It is distressing to me that we live in an age in which we still must fight to protect our civil rights as Americans, in which a hate crime perpetrated against someone based their sexual orientation can go unpunished, and in which discrimination is being written into our laws.

For a long time people were a little bit afraid of Rosa Parks because she had created this whole new modern civil rights movement,

It was so unbelievable that this woman -- this one woman -- had the courage to take a seat and refuse to get up and give it up to a white gentleman,

We do not believe that a soft money ban will cripple minority voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

You did the right thing by offering to resign, ... I'd like you to know that there's at least one member of Congress who is not going to rationalize the innocent deaths of two dozen children.

The American taxpayers should not have to send one more penny on the Administration's Iraq misadventure. Let's give our troops the supplies they need to get out of Iraq safely. Let's bring our troops home.

The fact that Mr. Bennett later acknowledged that such abortions would be 'morally reprehensible,' but added again that if it was done 'the crime rate would go down,' is equally outrageous,

Mr. Chairman, the price for continuing this war is too high, not only in budgetary terms, but in American lives, Iraqi civilian casualties blamed on America and in the steady increase in the terrorist ranks that this war is provoking around the globe.

Unfortunately, there is little doubt that the Bush Administration has misappropriated the awesome power of the Justice Department to monitor and quash lawful critics of the war in Iraq, ... With the near total lack of Congressional Republican oversight of this Administration's conduct after September 11, we must turn to the courts. I support the ACLU's lawsuit.

We've got a tremendous legacy to fulfill. You can't maintain a democracy and an empire simultaneously. Rosa, you taught me that.

Because the Administration is unable to send a clear message about America's intentions in Iraq, Congress must take this responsibility.

The presence of American troops is fueling the insurgency in Iraq, as acknowledged by General Casey and numerous other experts, and is helping terrorist recruiters build their numbers across the globe.

She could not have suspected that deep opposition would lead her to be the main participant in a federal case that went up to the U.S. Supreme Court and dealt the death blow not only to segregation of the bus system in Montgomery, but dealt the death blow to segregated systems that existed elsewhere in the United States,

We all agree that manufacturers have a right to ensure that fake goods are not marketed in their names and that their own goods are not marketed under fake names.

We think having her body lie in honor in the Rotunda is probably the most expressive way that we in government can let everyone know that the legacy of Rosa Parks is embraced by the federal legislature, ... I must say that the bipartisan support has been excellent.

a huge step back for civil liberties.

The president has been filmed bicycling around the neighborhood and he has personally attested to spending time fishing and attending little-league baseball games. ... Keep in mind, also, that White House press secretary Scott McClellan recently proclaimed about the president's vacation in Crawford, that 'Spending time outside Washington gives the president a fresh perspective of what's on the minds of the American people. It's a time, really, for him to shed the coat and tie and meet with folks out in the heartland and hear what's on their minds.' Possibly, you may have to actually talk to people to find out what's on their mind.

We have now fully crafted a bill that we can all live with and enjoy,

Today's indictments represent the beginning, but not the end, of the process of finally holding the Bush administration accountable for its conduct in foisting a pre-emptive war on this country.

In my judgment, eliminating prosecutorial options at the same time that the defendant has failed to yield any of its own options threaten to weaken and slow down the case, rather than provide a route to 'prompt, effective, and certain relief' as your press release claims,

We write to respectfully urge you to meet with Cindy Sheehan and other relatives of fallen soldiers who request a meeting to discuss their deep concerns about the war in Iraq, ... We also request that you help ensure that Ms. Sheehan and her colleagues are not arrested as long as they continue to wait for a meeting with you at their location in the peaceable and legal manner that they have maintained thus far.

I remember her as an almost saint-like person. And I use that term with care. She was very humble, she was soft-spoken, but inside she had a determination that was quite fierce.

The independent counsel had four years to investigate the president. This committee had four months. The White House is now getting two days. There is no question the president's conduct was wrong. But I believe that the legal case against the president is not strong.

The House is kind of dragging.

to understand how you could have permitted an individual with such views to broadcast such a program on your network, and learn what you intend to do to respond to this problem.

I am hopeful you will agree that it is in the department's and the public's interest to release this information in order to avoid any possible appearance or suggestion of impropriety or political favoritism,

Too many of my constituents, like many other hard working Americans across the country, are suffering unnecessarily due to our flawed health care system.

campaign finance has no relationship to the Starr referral and amazingly, this committee has now subpoenaed the president of the United States and the attorney general of the United States to provide documents that they don't have the authority to provide without a court order, whose criteria this committee is yet to even satisfy.

Watergate involved a wholesale corruption of government, ... This matter involves the concealing of a private affair in which the majority of facts are already known.

Everybody wanted to explain Rosa Parks and wanted to teach Rosa Parks, but Rosa Parks wasn't very interested in that, ... She wanted them to understand the government and to understand their rights and the Constitution that people are still trying to perfect today.

Without a date certain, this proceeding could turn into a yearlong, two years, politicized fishing expedition of enormous expense,

If we want to build the Iraqis' confidence about our intentions in their country, if we want to stop adding fuel to the fire of insurgency and terrorism, we must clarify our intent.

When Nelson Mandela after 27 years in prison came to Detroit and we were there to welcome him, what did Nelson Mandela do when he found out that Rosa Parks was in the stands ... He led a chant, 'Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks.' That made us realize that this is an international phenomenon.

For decades, the violence in the Middle East has claimed a multitude of innocent civilian victims: Men, women and children, Arab and Israeli.

Every few generations there are people who come along that change the way we look at the world, for musical enthusiasts Monk is one of these individuals.

There are very few people who can say their actions and conduct changed the face of the nation, and Rosa Parks is one of those individuals,

The administration's continued defiance of constitutional safeguards seems to have no end in sight, ... This decision decimates the Fourth Amendment.

The Magna Carta is widely known to be one of the foundational documents for our Constitution. I can only imagine that a mention of that in a court decision would be forbidden by our friends on the right.

more than capable to handle any independent counsel report, if one should come.

The most secretive administration in history continues to stonewall the American public with non-answers to vital questions about their most important civil liberties and personal freedoms,

The idea of a federally paid sex policeman spending millions of dollars to trap an unfaithful spouse or (to) police civil ... litigation would have been unthinkable prior to the Starr investigation.

When it comes to civilian deaths, violent hostilities play no favorites.

I am shocked at the extent and nature of problems GAO has identified in our electronic voting systems, and I fear that this may just be the tip of the iceberg, ... It is totally unacceptable that in 21st century America we would allow faulty machines and systems to rob citizens of their voting rights.

The reauthorization process is an opportunity to take stock of where we are and, if necessary, to make adjustments that will protect and strengthen the act,

We need to move past the emotional side of this issue, ... over the top ... We need to invest in solutions of a preventive nature.

Just as outlawing alcohol did not work in the 1920s, current attempts to prohibit online gambling will not work, either.

creates a process grounded in the Constitution that is focused, fair, expeditious and deliberate.

Violence against judges and threats of violence against Judges is on the rise and it is no laughing matter. When leaders attempt to rationalize this violence, it only makes the problem worse.

how an individual granted a show on your network could utter such a statement in 21st century America.

In this most powerful nation in the world, lack of access to health care should not force local and state governments, companies and workers into bankruptcy, while causing unnecessary illness and hospitalization.