Joan Claybrook Quotations

We are here today to expose one of the biggest con jobs in recent history.

I believe this bill was crippled without it. It's not a law without an enforcement system.

Certainly it is something that could be done at the state level.

Her efforts to limit lawsuits and access to the courts are troubling,

It is irresponsible that the federal government is rewarding a wealthy offshore oil corporation, particularly at a time of record budget deficits. A company that incorporates offshore to avoid U.S. taxes shouldn't be allowed to qualify for such grants.

Overall, this measure is insufficient because it focuses on disclosing corruption, rather than deterring it.

Such lavish travel gives lobbyists an inside track with lawmakers ... and could even be interpreted as building the groundwork for legislative favors.

That (DOT) chose in both rules to expand driving hours is astounding given its statutory mandate to make safety its highest priority and Congress's specific directive to the agency to reduce fatigue-related incidents.

The 46 deaths that have been reported are only those that are known publicly,

This report exposes one of the biggest con jobs in recent history. This long-running, secretive campaign funded by some of the country's wealthiest families has relied on deception to bamboozle the public not only about who must pay the estate tax, but about how repealing it will affect the country.

Electing Representative Blunt means choosing more of the same corruption plaguing the system now.

These standards are written for Detroit, by Detroit.

The shame of this situation is that both Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone have known about this problem for eight years, ... The companies have settled a number of lawsuits under gag orders, which prohibited the lawyers or victims in the cases from talking about them. As a result, safety officials and the public have been kept in the dark.

These documents suggest that Bush was acting as promoter in chief for Enron and its business interests at a time when he was getting ready to raise money for his run for president,

Right now, they're going to stop $50 meals, but they are still able to throw these elaborate convention parties that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in honor of a congressman.

DeLay was very astute at pushing legislation that was advantageous to people who would give him money.

A very awesome responsibility. We're quite concerned that she's never done anything regulatory. ... She hasn't done any policy work.

This is something they've known about for a long time.

This bill is a sham because the House leadership does not want real ethics and lobbying reform. They aren't rock stars, but they want the luxury trappings to be showered with lobbyists' money and entertainment, and flown around on corporate jets above the fray of security lines, delayed flights and missed connections.

There's a lot of push-back going on right now.

It means these vehicles (light trucks) are permanently on the highway unless the public doesn't want to buy them.

It's more accurate to say that this increases the safety dangers.

It is the most important thing for children, whether it is an air-bag car or non-air-bag car, that the child be in the back seat.

It's virtually a nothing burger. This proposal is useless.

They certainly raise questions about how far Bush went to help Enron and what other favors he might have done.

The Congress and the president have to be brought to account for their rogue actions in moving to enact this very controversial legislation without complying with the Constitution. This time, they will have to answer for their actions.

House leaders are trying to trick voters into thinking that the leadership is addressing the problem. Voters should not be fooled. This is not real reform.

I don't think this one is going to go away. Members of Congress know they are going to face this issue in November.

Cars are mobile. It's a relatively ridiculous system to allow partial recalls. It's a financial issue. Recalls are expensive, and automakers don't want to do them.

The cutting out of the Office of Public Integrity really undermines this whole effort.

There is nothing beyond the reach of ordinary citizens doing the daily work of democracy, and no problem too great to tackle with the power of active citizenship.

It's malarkey. When you tell people that the roof crushing in on your head is not the cause of injury, it's your head hitting the roof, it's laughable.

Leaks are good. There is too much secrecy in our government. Sometimes the government knows about a problem and it takes a leak to embarrass the bureaucracy and get them to do something about it.