“Even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, you now have Republicans in charge of the White House, the Congress, a majority of governors, more governors than they've had in 100 years, more state houses than they've ever had before.” YearsStatesHouseWhiteRepublicanVoteMajorityClintonCongressWhite HouseGovernorsPopular Vote Author:George Stephanopoulos
“The president [Barack Obama] did introduce a jobs bill that could not clear Congress. The Republicans simply would not work with him.” JobsPresidentClearRepublicanBillsCongressBarackIntroducingPresident Barack Obama Author:Julianne Malveaux
“[Donald Trump] is going to be tainted by scandal. Congress hangs by just three Republican votes. If he loses three Republicans, you're going to see investigations, subpoenas.” IfsThreeLosesTrumpRepublicanVoteCongressInvestigationScandalTaintedSubpoenas Author:Norman L. Eisen
“On the question of opposition, I think there are - when you want to send a signal if you're on the Democratic side that this is a very right wing cabinet at odds with so much of what [Donald] Trump said. And it's also going to be fascinating to see if your Republican Party in the congress actually goes along with those aspects of the Trump plan that are designed to raise wages.” IfsThinkingWantSaidSidesPartyPlansTrumpRepublicanAspectRaisesWingsDemocraticCongressOppositionFascinatingOddsWagesRepublican PartySignalsRight WingCabinets Author:E. J. Dionne
“The truth is that America has been closely divided politically for quite some time. That was reflected in some of the challenges I had with the Republican Congress.” Has BeensAmericaChallengesRepublicanTruth IsCongressDivided Author:Barack Obama
“I think raising wages, investing in infrastructure, making sure that people have access to good educations that equip them for the jobs of the future. Those are all agenda items that would help alleviate some of those economic pressures and dislocations that people are experiencing. The problem was I couldn't convince the Republican Congress to pass a lot of them.” PeopleThinkingHelpingProblemJobsEconomicRepublicanPressureInvestingCongressAccessConvinceAgendasWagesItemsInfrastructureGood EducationAlleviateDislocation Author:Barack Obama
“For Democrats who are feeling completely discouraged, I've been trying to remind them, everybody remembers my Boston speech in 2004. They may not remember me showing up here in 2005 when John Kerry had lost a close election, Tom Daschle, the leader of the Senate, had been beaten in an upset. Ken Salazar and I were the only two Democrats that won nationally. Republicans controlled the Senate and the House, and two years later, Democrats were winning back Congress, and four years later I was President of the United States.” TryingYearsMayTwoStatesFeelingsRememberHouseWinningLostPresidentUnitedLeaderUnited StatesFourRepublicanSpeechElectionDemocratCongressUpsetTwo YearsControlledFour YearsSenateTomsBeatenBostonDiscouragedShowing UpRemember MeJohn Kerry Author:Barack Obama
“I really do not think there is a serious split between Republicans and Democrats in Congress in how responsive they are to constituents.” ThinkingSeriousRepublicanDemocratCongressSplitsConstituents Author:Ezra G. Levin
“I believe we accomplished a lot of good things while I was in office. We maintained a very good working relationship with both Republicans and Democrats during my tenure. Consequently, we had a very high batting average in dealing with Congress on some very controversial issues. Plus, we kept our nation at peace, we obeyed the law, and we told the truth.” BelieveLawI BelieveNationsIssuesRepublicanOfficeGood ThingsDemocratVery GoodCongressAverageAccomplishedPlusGood WorkControversialBattingTenureControversial Issues Author:Jimmy Carter
“Republicans in Congress have already taken the initial steps to start repealing the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are hoping to at the very least slow that process down by rallying public support for the health care law.” CareLawProcessStepsSupportTakenRepublicanDemocratCongressHealth CareInitialsAffordableAffordable Care ActRallyingAlready TakenRepealing Author:Rachel Martin
“President Barack Obama couldn't bring everything into existence through Congress. Because from the day that he was elected president of the United States, the United States Congress, many of the Republicans met, and they declared that they would never allow his legislative program to succeed. And for eight years they fought him.” YearsStatesPresidentUnitedExistenceUnited StatesRepublicanMetsSucceedProgramCongressEightBarackPresident Barack Obama Author:Louis Farrakhan
“You put the republican members of congress who are up for re-election, and quite candidly, the democrats, because every democratic congressperson ought to be writing, tweeting, and you put them on notice. We are the boss of this government, not the [Donald] Trump.” WritingGovernmentOughtTrumpRepublicanMembersElectionDemocraticDemocratCongressBoss Author:Joe Madison
“The Republicans in Congress, they believe in Ronald Reagan's Republican Party, not Donald Trump Republican Party or Steve Bannon's Republican Party.” BelievePartyTrumpRepublicanCongressRepublican Party Author:David Brooks
“I think the whole dynamic is different. Whereas in [Barack] Obama's case, even though there was no incumbent, he was able to run against eight years of Bush-Cheney and a Republican Congress, and everyone was tired of everything. He was able to benefit from that.” ThinkingYearsDifferentWholeRunningAbleCasesRepublicanBenefitsTiredCongressEightBarackIncumbents Author:William Kristol
“Speaker [Paul] Ryan made clear that the Republican congress agrees with [Donald Trump], and [building a wall] that`s something that should be done.” ShouldMadeDoneClearBuildingWallTrumpRepublicanAgreeCongressSpeakers Author:Mark Halperin
“[John] Adams never had an optimistic view of human nature, and his experience in the Congress and abroad only deepened his suspicion that his fellow Americans might not have the character to sustain a republican government.” HumansCharacterGovernmentMightViewsHuman NatureRepublicanFellowsCongressOptimisticSuspicionRepublican Government Author:Gordon S. Wood
“Losing the PR battles, particularly about healthcare, translated into losing his Democratic majorities in Congress, beginning with a Republican landslide in the midterm election of 2010.” RepublicanBattleLosingElectionMajorityDemocraticCongressHealthcareLandslidesMidtermsMidterm Elections Author:Barack Obama
“The one thing I've said to [Donald Trump] directly, and I would advise my Republican friends in Congress and supporters around the country, is just make sure that, as we go forward certain norms, certain institutional traditions don't get eroded, because there's a reason they're in place.” SaidCountryReasonCertainOne ThingTrumpRepublicanTraditionCongressSupporterNormAdvise Author:Barack Obama
“I was very, very concerned about President Obama and how much executive order and how much executive power he tried to exert. But I think I want to be, and I think congress will be, a check on any executive, Republican or Democrat, that tries to grasp too much power. And really, a lot of the fault is not only presidents trying to take too much power, it's Congress giving up too much power.” ThinkingWantGivingTryingOrderPresidentToo MuchRepublicanGiving UpConcernedFaultsDemocratCongressChecksExecutivesPresident ObamaExecutive PowerToo Much PowerExecutive Orders Author:Rand Paul
“Republicans lost control of Congress because they strayed from the core conservative values that put them into the majority in 1994. If they return to the basic values that a majority of Americans share, they will regain power. If not, they won't.” IfsValuesLostShareReturnRepublicanMajorityCongressConservativeCoreConservative Values Author:Jeff Gannon
“Normally what happens in a new presidency is the president has a big agenda, and Congress is full of people with human weaknesses. And so the president indulges the human weaknesses of members of Congress in order to pass his agenda. This time it's the other way around. Donald Trump does not have much of an agenda. Congress burns with this intense Republican agenda and so does Congress that has to put up with the human weaknesses of the president in order to get a signature on the things it desperately wants to pass.” PeopleWayWantHumansDoeBigsHappensOrderPresidentTrumpRepublicanMembersWeaknessCongressIntenseAgendasPresidencyIndulgeSignatures Author:David Frum
“Every time a Republican wins the White House, whenever Republicans win control of Congress, the Drive-Bys always claim that the message is voters want a balanced and divided government.” WantGovernmentHouseWinningWhiteRepublicanMessagesClaimsCongressWhite HouseVotersDividedBalancedDivided Government Author:Rush Limbaugh
“On behalf of every Republican and every Democrat in Congress, on behalf of the whole House, I want our friends in the Jewish community to know that we stand with them.” KnowsWantWholeHouseCommunityRepublicanDemocratCongressBehalfJewish Community Author:Paul Ryan
“Trump's agenda is not polarizing. A majority of Americans voted for it. A majority of Americans are clamoring for it. A majority of Americans are asking the Republicans in Congress to get off their hands and implement it! Trump's agenda is not polarizing except to the establishment and to the Democrats and the media. But it's not polarizing out in the country.” CountryHandsMediaTrumpRepublicanAskingMajorityDemocratCongressAgendasEstablishmentPolarizing Author:Rush Limbaugh
“I think Republicans now are recognizing that [Obamacare cancellation] may not be what the American people, including even [Donald] Trump voters, are looking for. And my hope is that the president-elect, members of Congress from both parties look at, "Where have we objectively made progress, where things are working better?" Don't undo things just because I did them. I don't have pride of authorship.” PeopleThinkingLooksMayMadePresidentPartyProgressPrideTrumpRepublicanMembersIncludingCongressVotersRecognizingObamacareAuthorshipCancellation Author:Barack Obama