Home / Authors / Collin Peterson

Collin Peterson

Collin Peterson Quotes

U.S. Representative

Collin Peterson is a seasoned U.S. politician who has served as a U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 7th congressional district. Born on June 29, 1944, he has dedicated his political career to agricultural and rural issues, playing a significant role in Congress.

Filter quotes by topic

All People Party Democrat Democratic Ifs Republican Want America Democratic Party Different

Famous Collin Peterson Quotes

“I've tried to maintain my independence in Congress. Sometimes that has meant opposing my own party leaders.”

Sometimes My Own Party Leader Independence Congress Opposing

Author:Collin Peterson

“It appears to me that no one has learned a thing; that Wall Street is still operating as if 2008 never happened.”

Ifs Stills Happened Streets Wall

Author:Collin Peterson

“The use of methamphetamines has become pervasive in our country, and especially in rural areas.”

Country Use Areas Our Country Rural Areas Methamphetamine

Author:Collin Peterson

“I think we are starting to get some information that will allow us to get to the bottom of this, and I hope we continue to work on this until we get to the bottom of it.”

Thinking Information Bottom Starting

Author:Collin Peterson

“It was clear that [the number] just kept growing, and there were no [Hillary] Clinton signs. People were fed up.”

People Numbers Clear Growing Clinton Feds Fed Up

Author:Collin Peterson

“It was kind of interesting: [People] didn't really want to talk about it too much. And then after the election, it's kind of like they've been unleashed.”

People Want Kind Interesting Too Much Election Unleashed

Author:Collin Peterson

“A lot of it is backlash against all this political correctness that's going on.”

Political Political Correctness Correctness Backlash

Author:Collin Peterson

“[People] don't like the government telling them what to do or telling them how to live their lives.”

People Government

Author:Collin Peterson

“[People] think [the government is] coddling people, like when people's feelings are hurt at the colleges and they send somebody in to make them feel better. Stuff like that drives [voters here] crazy.”

People Thinking Feels Feelings Government Stuff Hurt Crazy College Voters Feel Better

Author:Collin Peterson

“I heard a lot about the Affordable Care Act, too. About how people in the individual market were getting clobbered with all these increases, which is a legitimate issue.”

People Care Individual Issues Heard Increase Affordable Affordable Care Act

Author:Collin Peterson

“You know what the economics are like in Red Lake County. There's no way a family can pay $15,000, $20,000 a year for health insurance and make it work. You just can't do it. It's got to change.”

Knows Way Years Pay Red Economics Lakes County

Author:Collin Peterson

“I always run ahead of the ticket [compared to Democratic presidential candidates]. But this time there were a lot of people that just voted party line, a lot more than usual.”

People Running Lines Party Democratic Presidential Candidates Usual Tickets Presidential Candidate

Author:Collin Peterson

“There's no question that [Donald] Trump got elected because of rural America. And our party still is in denial. They don't get it.”

Stills America Party Trump Denial Rural America

Author:Collin Peterson

“What's happened is the Republicans have been smart.”

Has Beens Happened Republican Smart

Author:Collin Peterson

“Republicans have spent a lot of money redistricting and everything, getting control of these governorships and statehouses.”

Republican Lots Of Money Redistricting

Author:Collin Peterson

“So [Republicans] packed all the Democrats into districts, very Democratic districts. What that's done is made our party urban, more liberal, and so those people are doing what their constituents want. But that's not what my constituents want.”

People Want Made Done Party Republican Democratic Democrat Urban Constituents

Author:Collin Peterson

“I don't know how you change that. There's hardly anybody left like me in the Democratic Party in Congress. These districts have been so gerrymandered that, in most of them, a Democrat can't win. Somebody like me trying to start off today, he'd never get endorsed. Because I'm too conservative.”

Knows Trying Has Beens Today Winning Left Party Know How Democratic Democrat Congress Conservative Like Me Democratic Party Can't Win

Author:Collin Peterson

“Pushing gun control drives people [in my district] crazy, gay marriage, abortion, deficit spending.All of that stuff adds up to be a problem for Democrats.”

People Problem Stuff Crazy Gay Gun Add Democrat Spending Abortion Pushing Gun Control Deficit Gay Marriage Deficit Spending

Author:Collin Peterson

“[Trade] was clearly a factor.That was a complete reversal of where things are normally at. Usually Republicans are all for free trade.”

Republican Trade Factors Free Trade Reversal

Author:Collin Peterson

“[Bernie] Sanders tapped into that [trade issues]; that was part of his support. And then when he didn't make it, some of those Sanders people went to [Donald] Trump.”

People Support Issues Trump Trade

Author:Collin Peterson

“I agree with [Donald] Trump: These trade agreements have not been good deals for America, and they need to be fixed.”

Needs America Deals Trump Agree Trade Fixed Agreement Trade Agreements

Author:Collin Peterson

“I fought NAFTA when it passed; it has been a big disaster for us, in my opinion. If we can renegotiate that, it would be wonderful.”

Ifs Has Beens Bigs Would Be Opinion Wonderful Disaster Nafta

Author:Collin Peterson

“Well, the sugar guys have been dealing with NAFTA ever since it passed. Now we've got Mexico dumping sugar that's subsidized by the Mexican government into our market in violation of the World Trade Organization, because NAFTA gave them open access to our sugar market. They claim they're not subsidized, but the government owns half the industry in Mexico.”

World Wells Has Beens Government Guy Half Industry Organization Claims Trade Access Sugar Mexico Mexican Violation World Trade Nafta World Trade Organization

Author:Collin Peterson

“NAFTA's been a big problem for sugar.”

Problem Bigs Sugar Big Problems Nafta

Author:Collin Peterson

“When it [NAFTA] was sold, we were supposed to get two or three times more exports to Canada or Mexico than they exported to us. It's been the exact opposite.”

Two Three Opposites Canada Mexico Three Times Nafta

Author:Collin Peterson

“We [Democrats] have become a party of assembling all these different groups, the women's caucus and the black caucus and the Hispanic caucus and the lesbian-gay-transgender caucus and so forth, and that doesn't relate to people out in rural America.”

People Different America Black Party Groups Gay Democrat Relate Transgender Hispanic Caucus Assembling Rural America

Author:Collin Peterson

“The [Democratic] party's become an urban party, and they don't get rural America. They don't get agriculture.”

America Party Democratic Agriculture Urban Democratic Party Rural America

Author:Collin Peterson

“Some of the people in my caucus, some of the people in the state party in Minnesota have basically said, "We don't want to deal with these guys because they're too conservative," or "We don't agree with them on social issues."”

People Want Said States Guy Social Deals Party Issues Agree Conservative Social Issues Minnesota Caucus

Author:Collin Peterson

“You can't have a majority party in Minnesota or throughout the country without [support from] the people in these [rural] districts. Given the position [the Democratic Party] has taken, it's very hard to see how you can do that.”

People Country Hard Given Can Do Party Support Taken Position Majority Democratic Democratic Party Minnesota

Author:Collin Peterson

“The only thing I can think to do is if the Democratic Party can do what the Republicans have done, which is go in there and take control of these legislatures and governors' areas.”

Ifs Thinking I Can Done Can Do Party Republican Areas Democratic Governors Democratic Party Legislature Take Control

Author:Collin Peterson

“Try to un-gerrymander these districts so that you're not packing all the Democrats into one district, so you've got districts that are competitive, so that you've got a shot at electing Democrats. But that's more a long-term proposition, if it can even be done.”

Ifs Trying Long Done Term Shots Democrat Long Term Propositions Packing

Author:Collin Peterson

“There's no question about it. If you look at the map, there's hardly any [Democrats representing rural districts]. There's me, [Rick] Nolan, [Tim] Walz, [Dave] Loebsack and Cheri Bustos. So that's five. And all the rest of them are in urban cities. That's a problem.”

Ifs Looks Problem Cities Five Democrat Maps Urban Representing Dave Nolan

Author:Collin Peterson

“If everybody in our caucus had a 50/50 [Democrat/Republican] district, we'd have a lot different discussion. But if they have a 90 percent Democratic district, they don't ever talk to a Republican, they don't have to and they don't want to.”

Ifs Want Different Republican Percent Democratic Democrat Discussion Caucus

Author:Collin Peterson

“[Rural voters] have a different view of the world than people do in these urban centers.”

People World Different Views Voters Urban Different Views

Author:Collin Peterson

“[Rural people] have a different lifestyle, and they don't want to change it. They're happy with the way things are. It's causing the party political problems.”

People Way Want Different Problem Political Party Lifestyle Different Lifestyles

Author:Collin Peterson

“The New York Federal Reserve is a tool of the big banks.”

Bigs New York Tools Historical Reserves Federal Reserve

Author:Collin Peterson

“The banks run the place.”

Running Historical

Author:Collin Peterson

“I am personally saddened and stunned by the tragic events that took place in Red Lake.”

Events Red Lakes Tragic Stunned Saddened Tragic Events

Author:Collin Peterson

About the Author

Born: June 29, 1944
Known for: U.S. Representative
Quotes: 38

Related Topics

People Party Democrat Democratic Ifs Republican Want America Democratic Party Different

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Similar Authors

Rush LimbaughBrowse related quotes
Thomas PerezBrowse related quotes
Scott RigellBrowse related quotes
Mark ShieldsBrowse related quotes
Ann CoulterBrowse related quotes
David BrooksBrowse related quotes
Keith EllisonBrowse related quotes
Neera TandenBrowse related quotes
Charles EversBrowse related quotes
Tom EmmerBrowse related quotes