Zephyr Teachout Quotes

Scandals, corruption, partisan infighting - no wonder people have lost faith in Congress. I say enough is enough.

We can't change the way Washington works unless we first change how Congress works.

I think the system is broken; most people think that it's broken. And we think that what we're going to do is invigorate the political system and allow for this country to be turned around.

While I have worked hard to bring folks to the middle to craft common-sense solutions to the many problems that confront our nation, Washington is mired in gridlock, gamesmanship and constant partisan bickering.

Congress is dysfunctional.

What is true is that if we do not change the culture of Washington, D.C., the United States of America will cease.

President Barack Obama has it right - there is a lot to change about Washington. The problem is, not much will get changed unless we confront the runaway filibuster in the U.S. Senate.

While we face economic obstacles that challenge every decision made in Washington, decisions made merely for political gain must stop. It's time to restore civility in Congress. It's time for action where action is needed - all politics aside.

We need new energy back in Washington.

The voters in District 8 shared our vision that Washington is broken, and we're going to go up there and fix it.

Are we going to just change the personalities in the speakership? Or are we going to fundamentally transform the way we do business here in Washington, D.C.?

We need reform. We need more transparency between those who lobby us and ourselves in the Congress.

Politics is broken.

Parliament should be broken up, and the Speaker plucked out of his chair.

Our political system is losing its ability to even explore alternatives …. I hope we will demand judgment from our leaders.

What Congress needs is a trochar.

I understand firsthand that Washington is broken.

We need Congress to do more than just engage in partisan games.

There is too much blind partisanship in Congress, which has blocked progress on critical issues. Too many members view compromise as weakness rather than the essence of our democracy. This has to end.

With every new class of representatives that comes to Congress, there is a greater recognition of the perils of private financing of campaigns. I believe that by pulling back the curtain on the daily pressures faced by members of Congress, we can show the public how critical this reform is to the salvation of our democracy.

Today it is difficult to find leaders who are independent of the forces that have brought us our problems: The Congress, the bureaucracy, the lobbyists, big business, and big labor.

The only tool we have to fix the problems of this country - the democratic process - is itself broken. Which is why nothing will fundamentally change until we solve the problem of money in politics.

Overall, Congress is dysfunctional, partisan, and polarized, and it isn’t getting anything done. We need commissions to break out of divisive partisanship.

Washington is broken but America still works.

Congress has lost its capacity to manage itself.