Ron Wyden Quotes

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

Ultimately, Congressional medicine is like veterinary medicine: It must be strong enough to work, and tasty enough to swallow.

Maybe the Jefferson case will give members of Congress second thoughts the next time they get ready to legislate away the rights of ordinary Americans.

It is idle to waste time and discuss whether it was within our power and duty to see whether we could prepare a Bill better than the Remedial Bill.

I'm saying the federal government is taking away the freedom of Americans to make choices.

Laws are important precisely because in a democracy they reflect the attitudes and aspirations of those they govern.

... one of the most monumental laws in the entire history of American freedom.

There is no major political issue in the country that does not end up as a legal issue.

The country don’t need no legislation

An owner’s right to exclude others from his property is the means by which he can avoid “bads” from happening: events that will lower the value of his property. By means of an unceasing flood of redistributive legislation, the democratic state has worked relentlessly not only to strip its citizens of all arms (weapons) but also to strip domestic property owners of their right of exclusion, thereby robbing them of much of their personal and physical protection.

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.

Was it ever known that general words were a sufficient satisfaction for particular grievances …. When grievances are complained of, the parliament is to redress them.

The administration cannot very well let its social program down because of adverse Supreme Court decisions .

[America] is so awash in rights that we are virtually unable to pass legislation reflecting traditional religious and moral views. Moral relativism will then be the rule, at law; and what is true at law will shape what is practiced.

The main product of government is laws.

Statutes against Fundamental Morality are void

Congress, rather than administrative agencies should fashion any policy that is not only of great economic importance but also one that has divided the faiths and loyalties of classes of people.

We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans

There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the taste exactly of every man, or every part of the community; of course, if this be a reason for opposition, no law can be executed at all without force

Legislation is a matter of more or less intelligent improvisation aiming at palliating conditions by means of patchwork policies.

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

I am under no illusion that amending the Voting Rights Act in Congress will be easy, but with bipartisan calls for legislation to address it, I'm confident we are moving in the right direction.

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

If we can't get where we need to go to protect people through our regulatory channels, through our legislative process, then unfortunately what we have left is our legal process.

Whenever there's a bad law, it can be repealed or nullified.