Bruce Babbitt Quotes

I have kept a steady focus on restoring public faith in our state government since taking office July 1. Now it is time to make even bigger and bolder gains through legislative action.

Our constituents did not send us to Washington to shut down the government. They sent us here to make it more accountable.

Stop sending out press releases and start passing some bills...

It is high time for some congressional oversight backbone.

Congress should get the job done.

It is provided by the Constitution that the President shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

There should be a law that you can't shut down the government - that you don't have that power.

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.

Since I joined Congress, I've been shocked at how many times we were forced to vote on 1,000-plus-page bills without ample time to read or review what was in the final legislation. It's no wonder Congress doesn't enact good policy.

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.

I do not believe we should shut down the federal government.

We need new energy back in Washington.

The only way to improve the GOP brand and make good public policy is to fix the process. This requires transforming the way Congress does business.

Shutting down the government is not how you make government work.

Members of Congress often have to have testimony to hang their hat on if they wish to do something for you or do something for the country.

... the decisive engine of impeachment.

If I could solve these problems with passing laws in the Congress, I would do so.

The veto is a President’s Constitutional right, given to him by the drafters of the Constitution because they wanted it as a check against irresponsible Congressional action. The veto forces Congress to take another look at legislation that has been passed.

When the federal government gets around to cleaning up their lists, I am sure we'll take another look at the Lowey amendment. But until then, this effort will continue to have bipartisan opposition.

If you think of big, legislative accomplishments, most of them kind of get initiated with the president putting something out there and Congress working on it.

Watching congressional hearings is ... more addictive than watching cartoons.

From time to time we must remind ourselves that the President has a role in the legislative process.

Has Washington become so dysfunctional that even when we all agree on something, we can’t get it done?

Let the filibuster be no more. Let the people decide.

I hate to tell you, but it's not always pretty up there on Capitol Hill