A Fighting Chance, by Elizabeth Warren: on Government Reform


Elizabeth Warren: Instead of voter suppression, do everything to help register

MA (along with many other states) had taken some heat for not following a federal law designed to make it easier for people to register to vote. The National Voter Registration Act requires states to offer people the chance to register to vote when they get a driver's license, which is why the law is usually called "Motor Voter." Seems sensible, and that part of the law was working pretty well. But since not everyone gets a driver's license--especially the disabled, elderly, and urban poor--the same law required states to invite people to register to vote when they applied for social services, such as veteran's benefits or food stamps. That's where MA had dropped the ball.

[During the 2012 election], MA was finally mailing out half a million voter registration cards. This issue is a direct shot at democracy. In many states, the Republicans have made voter suppression a regular part of their arsenal, chipping away at early voting. African American voting, student voting, you-name-it voting.

Source: A Fighting Chance, by Elizabeth Warren, p.251-2 Apr 22, 2014

Michael Grimm: I don't believe in government

In January, I met with Representative Michael Grimm, a newly elected Republican from Staten Island, NY. I can build some real rapport with. I didn't care about his Tea Party ties. He'd been in law enforcement and dealt with Wall Street corruption. I was sure that someone like him would really appreciate the importance of having a watchdog like the consumer agency.

When I launched into an enthusiastic description of what we were trying to get done at the agency, the congressman looked surprised. After a bit, he cut me off so he could make one thing clear: He didn't believe in government.

I asked him about the FBI, and he amended his statement to say yes, he believed in the FBI, but not other forms of "big government" and certainly not a consumer protection agency.

The meeting didn't last much longer, and afterward I kept thinking about Congressman Grimm's remark: He didn't believe in government.

Source: A Fighting Chance, by Elizabeth Warren, p.187 Apr 22, 2014

Scott Brown: Motor Voter registration "outrageous"; it helps Democrats

The National Voter Registration Act requires states to offer people the chance to register to vote when they get a driver's license, which is why the law is usually called "Motor Voter." But since not everyone gets a driver's license--especially the disabled, elderly, and urban poor--the same law required states to invite people to register to vote when they applied for social services, such as veteran's benefits, food stamps, or Medicaid. That's where Massachusetts had dropped the ball.

Massachusetts was finally mailing out half a million voter registration cards. In early August, Scott Brown issued a furious statement calling the state's mailing "outrageous."

Okay, people can laugh and say I'm hopelessly naive, but this issue is a direct shot at democracy. In many states, the Republicans have made voter suppression a regular part of their arsenal, chipping away at early voting. African American voting, Latino voting, immigrant voting, student voting, you-name-it voting.

Source: A Fighting Chance, by Elizabeth Warren, p.251 Apr 22, 2014

Tea Party: Limited role for government; not solution to every problem

Michael Grimm, a newly elected Republican [with] Tea Party ties, had been in law enforcement and dealt with Wall Street corruption. I was sure he would appreciate the importance of having a watchdog like our consumer agency. But when I launched into an enthusiastic description, he cut me off so he could make one thing clear: He didn't believe in government.

Sure, I understood the basic point that government plays a limited role in a lot of people's lives and that government isn't the solution to every problem. But someday I hoped to get a chance to ask him: Would you rather fly in an airplane WITHOUT the FAA checking air traffic control? Would you rather swallow a pill WITHOUT the FDA testing drug safety? Would you rather fight our fires WITHOUT our firefighters?

But I wasn't a member of Congress & he was. And the Tea Party had just helped dozens of people like him make it into public office, all loudly committed to unraveling just about everything the federal government had ever built

Source: A Fighting Chance, by Elizabeth Warren, p.187-8 Apr 22, 2014

Tea Party: True the Vote: like driving and seeing police following you

With the federal voting law, Massachusetts was finally mailing out half a million voter registration cards. In early August, Scott Brown issued a furious statement calling the state's mailing "outrageous."

Okay, people can laugh and say I'm hopelessly naive, but this issue is a direct shot at democracy. In many states, the Republicans have made voter suppression a regular part of their arsenal, chipping away at early voting. African American voting, Latino voting, immigrant voting, student voting, you-name-it voting. As the Tea Party-affiliated True the Vote campaign famously said, they wanted voting to become like "driving and seeing the police following you." I guess attacking my daughter for her involvement in an organization that was pushing states to help more people register to vote was just one more page out of their standard playbook.

Source: A Fighting Chance, by Elizabeth Warren, p.252 Apr 22, 2014

  • The above quotations are from A Fighting Chance
    by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Government Reform.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Elizabeth Warren on Government Reform.
Candidates and political leaders on Government Reform:

Retiring Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retiring House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retiring House as of Jan. 2015::
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Jul 26, 2015