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Constitution Quotes

“Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two Houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom? In strictness the answer on both points must be in the negative. The Constitution of the U. S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion. The law appointing Chaplains establishes a religious worship for the national representatives, to be performed by Ministers of religion, elected by a majority of them, and these are to be paid out of the national taxes. Does this not involve the principle of a national establishment ... ?”

“In the United States we have, in effect, two governments ... We have the duly constituted Government ... Then we have an independent, uncontrolled and uncoordinated government in the Federal Reserve System, operating the money powers which are reserved to Congress by the Constitution.”

Two States Government United Liberty United States Effects Constitution Independent Congress Libertarian Libertarianism Reserves Reserved Federal Reserve Limiting Government Money Power

Author:Wright Patman

“Labor Day, I suppose set by an Act of Congress. Everything we do nowadays is either by, or against, Acts of Congress. How Congress knew anything about Labor is beyond us.”

Labor Constitution Congress Labor Day

Book:Will Rogers' World: America's Foremost Political Humorist Comments on the Twenties and Thirties--and Eighties and Nineties

Source: Will Rogers' World: America's Foremost Political Humorist Comments on the Twenties and Thirties--and Eighties and Nineties

“[An] act of the Congress of the United States... which assumes powers... not delegated by the Constitution, is not law, but is altogether void and of no force.”

States Law Force United United States Constitution Assuming Congress Void

Book:The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private

Source: The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private

“Members of the Congress, the Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress. We are all trustees for the American people, custodians of the American heritage. It is my task to report the State of the Union--to improve it is the task of us all.”

People States Progress Members Tasks Constitution Unions Congress Partners Reports Heritage Rivals Custodians Trustees

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962

“Our Constitution wisely assigns both joint and separate roles to each branch of the government; and a President and a Congress who hold each other in mutual respect will neither permit nor attempt any trespass.”

Government President Roles Constitution Congress Branches Mutual Permit Joints Mutual Respect

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961

“The sovereignty of America has just been eroded in plain daylight by Clinton and the Congress, who take an oath to the Constitution. Those criminals continue to destroy this country and the world itself.”

World Country America Constitution Clinton Congress Criminals Sovereignty Oath Daylight

Author:Jerry Brown

“We cannot simply speak out against an escalation of troops in Iraq, we must act to prevent it... There can be no doubt that the Constitution gives Congress the authority to decide whether to fund military action, and Congress can demand a justification from the president for such action before it appropriates the funds to carry it out.”

Giving Action Speak President Doubt Military Demand Authority Constitution Congress Iraq No Doubt Fund Justification Troops Speaks Out Military Action Escalation Troops In Iraq

Author:Edward Kennedy

“If we add state capitalism to the Bush administration's success in eroding both the US Constitution and the power of Congress, we may be witnessing the final death of accountable constitutional government.”

Ifs May States Government Capitalism Constitution Add Finals Congress Administration Us Constitution Constitutional Government

Book:How the Economy was Lost: The War of the Worlds

Source: How the Economy was Lost: The War of the Worlds

“Because the bill in reserving a certain parcel of land in the United States for the use of said Baptist Church comprises a principle and a precedent for the appropriation of funds of the United States for the use and support of religious societies, contrary to the article of the Constitution which declares that "Congress shall make no law respecting a religious establishment."”

Source: The Writings of James Madison: 1808-1819

“I think that there's been a lot of people in Congress that didn't know all the ins and outs of the Constitution. I think we have a whole roomful of people that have record legislation in terms of quantity of pages that didn't read it.”

People Thinking Knows Whole Term Records Pages Constitution Congress Quantity Legislation

Author:Rick Santelli

“To get that word, male, out of the Constitution, cost the women of this country fifty-two years of pauseless campaign; 56 state referendum campaigns; 480 legislative campaigns to get state suffrage amendments submitted; 47 state constitutional convention campaigns; 277 state party convention campaigns; 30 national party convention campaigns to get suffrage planks in the party platforms; 19 campaigns with 19 successive Congresses to get the federal amendment submitted, and the final ratification campaign.”

“To hold that Congress has general police power would be to hold that it may accomplish objects not intrusted to the general government, and to defeat the operation of the 10th Amendment, declaring that 'the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

People May States Government Would Be United United States Objects Constitution Police Defeat Congress Accomplish Operations Amendments Reserved Declaring Police Power

Author:Melville Fuller

“Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution says Congress has the ability to coin money and regulate the currency and doesn't say anything about gold or silver.”

Ability Gold Constitution Congress Silver Articles Currency Say Anything Sections Coins Section 8

Author:Ron Paul

“The prohibition amendment to the Constitution requires the Congress. and the President to provide adequate laws to prevent its violation. It is my duty to enforce such laws.To prevent smuggling, the Coast Card should be greatly strengthened, and a supply of swift power boats should be provided. The major sources of production should be rigidly regulated, and every effort should be made to suppress interstate traffic... It is the duty of a citizen not only to observe the law but to let it be known that he is opposed to its violation.”

“I believe in absolute freedom of conscience for all men and equality of all churches, all sects and all beliefs before the law as a matter of right and not as a matter of favor. I believe in the absolute separation of church and state and in the strict enforcement of the Constitution that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof I believe that no tribunal of any church has any power to make any decree of any force in the law of the land, other than to establish the status of its own communicants within its own church.”

“As women are taking an active part in pressing on the consideration of Congress many narrow sectarian measures, such as more rigid Sunday laws, the stopping of travel, the distribution of the mail on that day, and the introduction of the name of God into the Constitution; and as this action on the part of some women is used as an argument for the disfranchisement of all, I hope this convention will declare that the Woman Suffrage Association is opposed to all union of Church and State, and pledges itself as far as possible to maintain the secular nature of our Government.”

“[T]he bill exceeds the rightful authority to which governments are limited by the essential distinction between civil and religious functions, and violates in particular the article of the Constitution of the United States which declares that Congress shall make no law respecting a religious establishment.... This particular church, therefore, would so far be a religious establishment by law, a legal force and sanction being given to certain articles in its constitution and administration.”

“When will the men do something besides extend congratulations? I would rather have President Roosevelt say one word to Congress infavor of amending the Constitution to give women the suffrage than to praise me endlessly!”

Men Giving Politics President He Man Constitution Praise Congress Congratulations One Word Suffrage Amending The Constitution President Roosevelt

Author:Susan B. Anthony

“One faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government, doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.”

“But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people's representatives in Congress.”

“The veto is a President's Constitutional right, given to him by the drafters of the Constitution because they wanted it as a checkagainst irresponsible Congressional action. The veto forces Congress to take another look at legislation that has been passed. I think this is a responsible tool for a president of the United States, and I have sought to use it responsibly.”

Thinking Looks Has Beens States Use Action Wanted Given Force President United United States Tools Constitution Responsible Congress Legislation Irresponsible Veto

Book:The Presidential campaign, 1976

Source: The Presidential campaign, 1976

“Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this. We're not about to shut the government down over the fact that we cannot, only controlling one house of Congress, tell the president that we're not going to fund any portion of [Obamacare]. Because we can't do that.”

“[Oliver North is a] document-shredding, Constitution-trashing, Commander in Chief-bashing, Congress-thrashing, uniform-shaming, Ayatollah-loving, arms-dealing, criminal-protecting, résumé-enhancing, Noriega-coddling, Social Security-threatening, public school-denigrating, Swiss-banking-law-breaking, letter-faking, self-serving, election-losing, snake-oil salesman who can't tell the difference between the truth and a lie.”

“We recognize the force of the argument that the effects of war under modern conditions may be felt in the economy for years and years, and that if the war power can be used in days of peace to treat all the wounds which war inflicts on our society, it may not only swallow up all other powers of Congress but largely obliterate the Ninth and the Tenth Amendments as well.”

Ifs Years Wells May War Used Force Felt Power Economy Modern Conditions Effects Economics Argument Treats Constitution Congress Wounds Our Society Amendments Effects Of War

Author:William O. Douglas

“Numbered among our population are some 12,000,000 colored people. Under our Constitution their rights are just as sacred as those of any other citizen. It is both a public and a private duty to protect those rights. The Congress ought to exercise all its powers of prevention and punishment against the hideous crime of lynching, of which the negroes are by no means the sole sufferers, but for which they furnish a majority of the victims.”

People Mean Rights Crime Duty Ought Citizens Exercise Protect Constitution Victim Sacred Majority Congress Population Punishment Sole Hideous Prevention Sufferers Lynching

Author:Calvin Coolidge

“We had so many different presidents, including Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln - there were other founders like Hamilton, Adams - who made it very clear that the courts can't make a law. The Constitution is expressly clear that that's a power reserved to Congress.”

Made Different Law President Clear Constitution Court Including Congress Made It Founders Reserved Hamilton

Author:Mike Huckabee

“The Constitution, in addition to delegating certain enumerated powers to Congress, places whole areas outside the reach of Congress' regulatory authority. The First Amendment, for example, is fittingly celebrated for preventing Congress from "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion or "abridging the freedom of speech." The Second Amendment similarly appears to contain an express limitation on the government's authority.”

Firsts Whole Government Certain Example Exercise Speech Authority Areas Constitution Congress Limitation Amendments Freedom Of Speech First Amendment Second Amendment Preventing

Author:Clarence Thomas

“To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible to definition.”

Source: The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, cont

“..if the Northern states refuse, willfully and deliberately, to carry into effect that part of the Constitution which respects the restoration of fugitive slaves, and Congress provide no remedy, the South would no longer be bound to observe the compact. A bargain can not be broken on one side, and still bind the other side.”

Source: The Wanderer Case: The Speech of Hon. Henry R. Jackson of Savannah, Ga

“That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience.”

“No power but Congress can declare war; but what is the value of this constitutional provision, if the President of his own authority may make such military movements as must bring on war? ... [T]hese remarks originate purely in a desire to maintain the powers of government as they are established by the Constitution between the different departments, and hope that, whether we have conquests or no conquests, war or no war, peace or no peace, we shall yet preserve, in its integrity and strength, the Constitution of the United States.”

“How to check these unconstitutional invasions of rights by the Federal judiciary? Not by impeachment in the first instance, but by a strong protestation of both houses of Congress that such and such doctrines advanced by the Supreme Court are contrary to the Constitution; and if afterwards they relapse into the same heresies, impeach and set the whole adrift. For what was the government divided into three branches, but that each should watch over the others and oppose their usurpations?”

“Many of the opposition [to the new Federal Constitution] wish to take from Congress the power of internal taxation. Calculation has convinced me that this would be very mischievous.”

Would Be Wish Constitution Congress Convinced Opposition Internals Taxation Calculations Mischievous

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“The Constitution does not vest in Congress the authority to protect society from every bad act that might befall it....[I]f followed to its logical extreme, [this approach] would result in an unwarranted expansion of federal power.”

Doe Might Results Protect Authority Approach Constitution Congress Extremes Logical Expansion Vests

Author:Clarence Thomas

“Those who proposed the Constitution knew, and those who ratified the Constitution also knew that this is...a limited government tied down to specified powers....It was never supposed or suspected that the old Congress could give away the money of the states to encourage agriculture or for any other purpose they pleased.”

Giving States Government Purpose Constitution Congress Tied Agriculture Limited Government

Author:James Madison

“In explaining the Constitution, James Madison, the acknowledged father of the Constitution, wrote in Federalist Paper 45: 'The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peach, negotiation, and foreign commerce.' Has the Constitution been amended to permit Congress to tax, spend and regulate as it pleases or have Americans said, 'To hell with the Constitution'?”

“The Court's decision reflects the philosophy that judges should endure whatever interpretive distortions it takes in order to correct a supposed flaw in the statutory machinery. That philosophy ignores the American people's decision to give Congress '[a]ll legislative Powers' enumerated in the Constitution. They made Congress, not this Court, responsible for both making laws and mending them.”

People Giving Should Made Philosophy Law Order Decision Judging Constitution Responsible Court Endure Congress Flaws Machinery Distortion Mending

Author:Antonin Scalia

“Does the U.S. Constitution stand for anything in an era of government excess? Can that founding document, which is supposed to restrain the power and reach of a centralized federal government, slow down the juggernaut of czars, health insurance overhaul and anything else this administration and Congress wish to do that is not in the Constitution?”

Doe Government Wish Constitution Congress Administration Eras Excess Documents Federal Government Founding Slow Down Juggernaut Czars

Author:Cal Thomas

“Judge [Samuel Alito], there's a genuine struggle going on well beyond you, well beyond the Congress, in America about how to read the Constitution.”

Wells America Struggle Judging Constitution Congress Genuine

Author:Joe Biden

“I have very deep concern about the legacy of the Rehnquist court and its efforts to restrict congressional authority to enact legislation by adopting a very narrow view of several provisions of the Constitution, including the commerce clause and the 14th Amendment. This trend, I believe, if continued, would restrict and could even prevent the Congress from addressing major environmental and social issues of the future.”

“I want judges on the Supreme Court who will respect the words and the meaning of the Constitution, the laws enacted by Congress and the laws enacted by state legislatures.”

Want States Law Judging Constitution Court Congress Supreme Supreme Court Legislature State Legislatures

Author:John Cornyn

“Questions of such gravity go down to the very foundations of the government. If the provisions of the Constitution can be set aside by an act of Congress, where is the course of usurpation to end?”

Ifs Ends Government Political Courses Politics Constitution Foundation Congress Gravity Provision Usurpation

Author:Stephen Johnson Field

“That so much power over the U.S. nuclear arsenal is placed in the hands of one man - any man - bodes ill for humanity, while completely undermining the war power granted to Congress in the U.S. constitution.”

Men War Hands Humanity Constitution Congress Ill Nuclear Granted One Man Arsenal Undermining

Author:David Krieger

“The Constitution is very clear: Congress has sole discretion over defining who is and who isn't a citizen and how you become one. It's not the 14th Amendment.”

Clear Citizens Constitution Congress Amendments Sole Defining Discretion 14th Amendment

Author:Rush Limbaugh

“The Constitution says Congress has complete control over who is and who is not a US citizen.”

Citizens Constitution Congress

Author:Rush Limbaugh

“Congress decides who becomes a citizen and how. To automatically say the 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship, no, we can't change that. Amending the Constitution, not possible, takes too long. We gotta find another way of dealing with this. No, we don't, because it's not there. You don't have to amend the Constitution.”

Way Long Citizens Constitution Congress Grants Amendments Citizenship Another Way Can't Change Birthright Amending The Constitution 14th Amendment

Author:Rush Limbaugh

“The Emoluments section shares with the Constitution. That`s not a law that Congress could change or the president could ignore.”

Law President Share Constitution Congress Sections

Author:Chuck Todd

“Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn't even get out of committee.”

Government Today Political Liberty Democracy Rights Constitution Bills Congress Libertarian Usa Amendments Libertarianism Committees Bill Of Rights

Author:F. Lee Bailey

“The commitment to international agreements is embodied, it's found in the U.S. Constitution. Article Six of the U.S. Constitution provides that treaties of the United States are part of the supreme law of the land along with the constitution itself and laws passed by Congress. Well, the US government certainly has not been acting in recent years as if treaties were part of the supreme law of the land.”

Ifs Years Wells States Government Law Found United Acting United States Land Six Commitment Constitution International Congress Supreme Agreement Articles Treaties

Author:John Burroughs