Tom Daschle Quotes on Government (29 Quotes)

Why mess with success If the language worked in the House, you would think it would work here in the Senate as well,

Those who are in government have an urgent responsibility to prove to the American people that our government can still work for them.

This is a Congress that is much more interested in investigating than legislating,

We therefore expect more say on how the Senate is run, and that includes everything from deciding what bills are debated on the floor, what goes into conference reports, to deciding committee chairs and ratios, and assigning committee staff and office space,

If if looks like we're going to face a filibuster, we're going to find the time and find the way to break that filibuster in the United States Senate.

While our effort began as a war against terrorism, it continues now as an effort to rebuild this country ... to restore the quality of life and the kind of government they have fought so hard to obtain now,

We know that there are still some in the Senate who think that they may have a chance to keep this bill from becoming law, ... We say to them, 'Look what happened in the House. Opponents in the House used every conceivable argument and excuse, every imaginable ploy. They failed and so will you.'

The first possibility, and our first choice by far, is that we have 49 Democratic senators and a Democratic president and vice president, ... Either way, Senate Democrats are determined to reach out to our Republican colleagues, to help heal the divisions in our county caused by this unprecedented election.

There isn't anybody who can think on his feet better than Dick Durbin, ... he will be in the unique role ... to be the voice of our caucus and certainly the voice of the Senate Democratic leadership.

The Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.

essential for all three branches of government.

I can't think of anything that would divide this nation more quickly, right off the bat, than to impress upon the Congress the importance of passing a tax cut of that magnitude,

Sen. Jeffords' decision now produces some changes, ... The historic 50-50 Senate now becomes history. This will be America's first 50-49-1 Senate.

I believe that the leadership in the Senate needs to know what contingency plans there are in case of an emergency. I don't think that is too much to ask. I feel as a result of the briefing I was given today, I now know. I will leave it at that,

This matter goes back to 1982. The Reagan Administration did nothing. The Bush Administration did nothing. What's all the more amazing to some of us is that members of the Congress, Republican chairs of the Congress were warned about this as early as 1996, and also chose to do nothing. This administration is the first to do something,

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said the revelation might cause major problems during confirmation hearings for the nominee. I think it would present very serious problems, ... Face the Nation.

the Democratic-controlled Senate is not interested in the security of the American people.

I think there has to be a debate there has to be some good discussion, ... There has to be some opportunity for the people to be heard. ... Congress needs to be equal and full partners in this discussion, and ultimately in the decision.

ram through divisive provisions and pork spending that could never win the support of Congress on their own.

One of the responsibilities of his job is to increase the confidence in this country about the importance that our country is placing on homeland security, that we understand its complexities and the difficult challenges we face, ... But if he can't be an advocate before Congress, it's hard for me to understand how he can be an advocate before the country.

I think that it's so critical when you make a request to the Congress to authorize and appropriate 38 billion for homeland security, somebody ought to come up and explain just how you're going to spend it, ... Those issues are going unanswered in large measure because Mr. Ridge refuses to testify. We just have to find a way hopefully without the use of coercion to have those questions answered for the record.

Every Democratic candidate running for the Senate this year will have at least one prescription drug ad, ... We are trying to turn up the heat so our Republican friends will see the light.

Congress supported the experiment. It was a huge mistake. Deficits skyrocketed. The national debt quadrupled. High interest rates choked American industries. Unemployment soared.

Whether it's in trade, whether it's in a more permanent presence, whether we can find ways to assist in the Kashmiri dispute, I think that there are ways in which the United States can continue to show its gratitude and to be the player it needs to be in this region and certainly with the government of this country,

We're debating the highway bill, and that work will go on. Terrorist attacks, criminal acts of this kind, will not stop the work of the Senate or the Congress, as we have important work to be done.

There really is no more important issue Congress should be working on this year, and in this time of unprecedented economic growth there is no reason why we shouldn't be,

Some people say it will take another miracle for this Congress and administration to find a way to work together. As we begin this historic Congress, let us resolve that we will work in good faith with each other to do the people's business. That is our pledge from this side of the aisle,

I think the Treasury Department report undermines the credibility of every witness that will be coming before the Congress this week, ... If we've had the kind of sensationalism and erroneous data provided to the committee in the past, it's very likely it'll happen again.

Literally minutes before the Senate cast its vote, the administration sought to add the words 'in the United States and' after 'appropriate force' in the agreed-upon text. This last-minute change would have given the president broad authority to exercise expansive powers not just overseas -- where we all understood he wanted authority to act -- but right here in the United States , potentially against American citizens . I could see no justification for Congress to accede to this extraordinary request for additional authority. I refused.