Jonathan Rauch Quotes

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.

Improving some of the rules under which the Senate functions can begin to replace some of the bad habits Washington has developed with better ones.

Some day, the public might actually revolt against the undemocratic system of seniority that allows Congress to keep the old ways of Washington ingrained into the culture of Congress.

We must restore faith in politics. Reform of the House of Lords is only one part of the answer, but it is a vital one.

I was Speaker of the House in Florida, first Republican speaker in 120 years. And I totally dismantled the way this House worked and turned it around to what I believe is right.

[On congressional reform:] If you purify the pond, the water lilies die.

What Congress needs is a trochar.

To reform Congress, you have to get Congress to play along.

Canadians understand that our Senate, as it stands today, must either change or … vanish

When it comes to Senate reform, in general, I've always been a believer in an elected Senate and would hope to achieve aspects of Senate reform.

Our legislative victory - an end to earmarks.

When we have a majority we will do it. I think the days of the Lords are quite genuinely numbered.

It has a natural appeal, but I don't believe that even in 2020 there will be term limitations on Congress.

If they won’t listen, we should limit the Politicians’ terms and send them packing..

We need to reform the political system, or we'll lose the democracy. I don't think it's that hard. It doesn't take rocket science. We've done it before successfully at the presidential level and tried it several places at the state level.

We have no choice but to reform this country.

If we are going to change this country's laws, we need to have pro-life members of both parties.

If election is your goal, you're never going to engage in reform. Reform has to be your goal. Election is the means. You run for office in order to do something, not in order to perpetuate yourself.

I believe in term limits. I believe the country would be hugely better off if we had more turnover in Congress.

We're going to have more women run for office. We can shift what's going on in Congress.

Our message of a balanced budget amendment, term limits to end career politicians, and a real plan to keep America safe is resonating with voters.

The Seanad question was one element of a process of change and reform to politics that government has been pursuing.

Hoosiers sent me to Washington to help President Trump drain the swamp, and it starts with cutting out generous taxpayer-funded perks that keep career politicians in D.C.

I want to be at least part of the change in Congress.

An approach that phases in congressional term limits reconciles the self-interest of members of Congress with the public's desire to see these changes enacted and gives us the best chance to make term limits a reality.