Jeff Sessions Quotes & Sayings

Coming out of the anti - coming out of the Republican heritage of Abraham Lincoln, Frank Johnson could see it more clearly than Alabamians would, which led to the big confrontations between Frank Johnson and George Wallace. — Jeff Sessions

I would acknowledge that [Paul] Ryan has some really good ideas about things, and I think they'll get together, like taxes. Larry Kudlow, Stephen Moore, they've been supportive of Ryan's tax view and now they're very supportive of [Donald] Trump's. So I think that's got potential. — Jeff Sessions

We believe that people should wait their time, and people should be able to be accepted here - over a million a year - in an orderly process, not a disorderly process, and that we should not be rewarding those who violate the law, and making even harder for those who try to comply with the law. — Jeff Sessions

All the kids that I grew up with, in an almost idyllic environment - I've got to tell you, it was so wonderful - they've gone on and they're doctors and Ph.D.'s and everybody has a four-year college degree. None of our parents, I think, had a four-year degree. — Jeff Sessions

The massive debt we have racked up to finance our wasteful government is pulling down growth today. Gross debt over 90 percent of GDP weakens growth now. Not tomorrow - now. — Jeff Sessions

We can't do everything with a budget, but we can put the country on much sounder financial footing. — Jeff Sessions

After years of mass immigration, falling wages, and surging joblessness, isn't it time we focused on the needs of the people living here today? Isn't it time we got our own people back to work? — Jeff Sessions

You pay a price when you have an objective sentencing system. That is, nothing is perfect. — Jeff Sessions

[My father] was interested. He read the newspapers and read Time and U.S. News and World Report and people in stores would come along, you know, and they would talk politics. — Jeff Sessions

All soldiers who serve their country and put their lives at risk need to know that if something happens to them, their families will be well taken care of. That's the bond we have with our military men and women and their families. — Jeff Sessions

We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even right now, in this negative period, are holding pretty strong, because people want a leader that's going to make this country great again and have a strong economy. — Jeff Sessions

In retrospect there were failures enough to go around. There were failures before the storm and failures after the storm. — Jeff Sessions

Voters are saying "I like this guy [Donald Trump]. He just might shake this place up." — Jeff Sessions

We've seen what happened in Libya, what a disaster that's been driven by Hillary Clinton, and the disaster in Syria and almost disaster in Egypt. What a close call that's been. We're not out of the woods yet with Egypt. — Jeff Sessions

My father had a country store and then later, when I was 10 or 12, sold it and bought a farm equipment dealership in nearby Camden. — Jeff Sessions

The elite denizens of Washington and Wall Street scorn and mock the good and decent people of this country for wanting their laws enforced and their communities protected. — Jeff Sessions

People of my generation knew we needed to move beyond that, the racial division and segregation and unsustainable social relations, that were unfair to millions of people. But it didn't mean that we were going to become a big government liberal. — Jeff Sessions

Frank Johnson was recognized as one of the great federal judges of American history, I suppose. He was a law-and-order judge. He was a classical, I think, conservative. But he believed that civil rights provided in the Constitution applied to everybody. — Jeff Sessions

The American people should be the one to decide which direction the Supreme Court will go. — Jeff Sessions

The goal of this Nation, I so strongly believe, is to be a preeminent world power. We have to understand what comes with that: The responsibility to be strong. — Jeff Sessions

We are in a movement that must not fade away. The bosses are you. The people in Washington are public servants, and they serve you. — Jeff Sessions

How many thousands of lives would be saved if we enforced our immigration laws, our guns laws, and our drug laws? Public safety is not being held hostage by the 'gun lobby,' but by the open borders lobby and the anti-law enforcement lobby. — Jeff Sessions

They [Democratic Party ] did not do what they promised to do. And we're not going to end trade - that's very important to state - but we're going to have to be more careful about it, and we have to recognize, as politicians, we don't represent some international company. — Jeff Sessions

I would like to think that we are on a move that could be like [Ronald] Reagan. Reagan appealed to the average working American: their patriotism, their love of country, the belief in their schools and their communities and their loyalty to the military and police, and the things that create stability and a good life. — Jeff Sessions

I've had very little negative pushback. I think people in the Senate know that I have believed, for a number of years, and have been outspoken that we need to listen to what the American people are telling us, and we need to focus more on the well-being of people who make lower wages, $50,000 and below. — Jeff Sessions

I certainly believe that improving our intelligence is of important national interest. — Jeff Sessions

The Republican Party, in many ways, grew up as a reaction to that [ segregation], and a lot of people have misunderstood that. — Jeff Sessions

The Senate cannot confirm an individual ... who would support a scheme that violates our Constitution, eviscerates congressional authority. — Jeff Sessions

Marriage has been defined by every legislature that has ever sat in the United States from every State, now 50 States, the same way, but now we have unelected judges altering and changing that fundamental institution. — Jeff Sessions

I just don't think there's that many people who think it's wrong to have control on our borders. That's not racism. It's not racism to question some of the political correctness today that's going on, to recognize that things are going as well as - for American workers, as they'd like, because people, their frustration is arising from a deep sense of unease that Washington is fiddling while their house is burning. — Jeff Sessions

Instead of engaging on the merits and saying, "Well, we want an open border, you know, we really do," and that's all good for America because they know the people will reject that, they [the elites] attack Donald Trump as an extremist, which I think is unfair. — Jeff Sessions

More taxes, more regulation, more Washington domination, more debt. Those things are not the future for America. They will never work. — Jeff Sessions

Donors don't win elections; voters win elections. — Jeff Sessions

The largest untapped constituency in American politics are the 300 million American citizens who have been completely left out of the immigration debate. — Jeff Sessions

I will not vote for - and no senator should vote for - anyone who will not render justice impartially. — Jeff Sessions

Scripture says, 'He didn't know the Lord, didn't respect the Lord, but the Lord used him to advance his kingdom.' I just believe that at this point in history, Trump will defend religious faith. I talk to him about that. — Jeff Sessions

I think if a candidate ran for office in most states in the country, if his opponent, or her opponent was an effective advocate against the TPP and could show, as I think we will be able to show, it's detrimental to working Americans, I think they would have a hard time getting elected. — Jeff Sessions

Donald Trump can improve and get better as he goes along, and I think he will. — Jeff Sessions

Winston County was a pocket of Republicans. Even in the depression days, when Democrats dominated Alabama, Winston County remained a Republican county and all the elected officials were Republican. — Jeff Sessions

We have a toxic ideology, hopefully very small, within Islam; certainly most people, most Muslims, don't agree with this violent, jihadist approach. — Jeff Sessions

Donald Trump is saying we're going to end the lawlessness at the border and we're going to push Mexico to do better. So there's been a reaction by the activist community to attack him. — Jeff Sessions

People are not doing well financially. I mean, wages are down from 2000. They're down from 2007. 2000 - down. Not going - they're below what they were in 2000. People are hurting. Things aren't going well for them. — Jeff Sessions

If we can get this economy moving and quit doing the things that prohibit growth, Alabama ... can sustain that growth. — Jeff Sessions

Donald Trump is saying the right thing. We're bringing in so much labor, it's pulling down working people. — Jeff Sessions

We're going to build a wall. Donald Trump never said it's going to go from one end of the country, from the Gulf to the Pacific, and he'll use good judgment about that. And there are ways, through tax and regulation policies, that we can - and immigrant fees - that this could be paid for. I have not studied the details of it but, absolutely, I think that is possible. — Jeff Sessions

I liked Donald's Trump speech on foreign policy. What he's showing is that his fundamental views are solid, and that there's an intellectual basis for this, an economic basis for what he's saying, and that can lead him to victory. — Jeff Sessions

[Donald] Trump is underestimated greatly in terms of his understanding and comprehension of the great issues facing America. He understands trade. He's got businesses all over the world. He understands currency and how manipulating currency can be damaging to America. — Jeff Sessions

In my family, we were not involved in politics at all. — Jeff Sessions

Hillary Clinton says nobody should be deported that entered illegally unless they commit a violent felony, which is an argument for open borders and American people reject that. — Jeff Sessions

I went to law school at Alabama and I grew up a loyal Auburn fan. I'm one of the few that wrestles with those issues sometimes, but we're really proud of them. Like the University of Alabama has almost doubled its enrollment. — Jeff Sessions

Iraq assumes responsibility for its own future ... They have got to step up. — Jeff Sessions

We represent our constituents. And so they don't get to dictate policy. — Jeff Sessions

My father never ran for office or supported anybody for office, and was not engaged in that at all. But I think people throughout the area were just in a constant state of tension - I mean, adults. — Jeff Sessions

I think we have a high responsibility to base any criticisms that we have on a fair and honest statement of the facts, and that nominees should not be subjected to distortions of their record, taking things they've done out of context. — Jeff Sessions

Kissinger-type foreign policy is clearly, in my view, the proper tilt for us in the future, and he [Donald Trump] gets it. And some of our members, I guess, have been so deeply committed to the [George W.]Bush agenda, the neo-conservative agenda, that it's harder for them to acknowledge that. But I acknowledge it. — Jeff Sessions

Donald Trump foreign policy speech got good reviews, and it says we're going to defeat the people who are direct threats to us, but we're going to be a lot more cautious about getting involved in long-term, Wilsonian adventures. — Jeff Sessions

[Donald] Trump is where the Republicans are, and if you're going to be a Republican leader you should be supportive of that. — Jeff Sessions

I think it's clear to me that what - when I look at the tea party, it's about one-third Democrat, one-third Republican, one-third independents. But 100 percent of them are sure that the agenda that is taking place in Washington, D.C., is about extremism and is about bankrupting this country and every state within this country. — Jeff Sessions

[My father ] came home from World War II and he voted for [Dwight] Eisenhower. He was pretty thoughtful about those things, but never, as I said, ever campaigned for anybody. He let me put a [Barry] Goldwater sticker on his pickup truck, but he never put a bumper sticker on his car. We never had a yard sign or anything in our yards, never contributed to anybody's campaign. — Jeff Sessions

Well, first of all, let's go right to it. We're going to balance the budget. We should live within our own means, and we should read the bills and work with the American people. — Jeff Sessions

Honest people can disagree on policy. But where there can be no honest disagreement is the need to change our nation's debt course. — Jeff Sessions

We need more American energy. It keeps wealth at home. It keeps our wealth from ending up in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. It creates jobs at home. — Jeff Sessions

I think that the real future of the American party is to bring in working Americans. — Jeff Sessions

I told Donald Trump, 'This isn't a campaign, this is a movement.' Look at what's happening. The American people are not happy with their government. — Jeff Sessions

Because a person chooses to leave their home country and come to the United States does not necessarily mean they have the right to demand that their father or their other extended family members be allowed to come if they don't otherwise meet the standard. — Jeff Sessions

Even moderates, they can see in Trump the potential to have logjams broken and things finally get done. This makes some conservatives and some liberals furious, nervous, and me nervous a little bit, because I'm a pretty pure conservative. So that's a potential of his leadership. — Jeff Sessions

We were just country people. All my grandfathers had farms. They had chickens, cattle and tried to get by farming, for the most part. — Jeff Sessions

Hybart is a little community I grew up in, so it was just a wonderful time in those years. I was the youngest of about nine boys in the neighborhood and we played ball all the time, and I looked up to them and they let me play around with them, and we just had a good time. — Jeff Sessions

Amnesty will not help balance our budget ... In fact, a large-scale amnesty is likely to add trillions of dollars to the debt over time, accelerate Medicare's and Social Security's slide into insolvency and put enormous strain on our public-assistance programs. — Jeff Sessions

I had met [Donald] Trump once before, when he testified before a committee that Tom Coburn - Senator Coburn - and I hosted, to deal with excessive expenditures to refurbish the UN building in New York. — Jeff Sessions

This [Gang of Eight bill (S.744)] is far, far too many low-skilled workers that are going to take jobs and pull down wages of people unemployed and underemployed right now. — Jeff Sessions

You're not supposed to be admitted to America if you're likely to be a charge on the public - if you're going to need government aid to take care of yourself ... It [2006 immigration bill] failed because it did not do what it said it would do ... End the illegality first. Then we can wrestle with how to treat compassionately people who have been in America for a long time. — Jeff Sessions

People react not very wisely sometimes. — Jeff Sessions

This is a critical time in American history. [Donald's Trump] strength is willingness to stand up to political conventions, take on Republican and Democrat leaders, and, in effect, do so in defense of the legitimate interest of people who make less than median income in America, is the key to victory. — Jeff Sessions

How can we vote for a bill [S.744] that our own CBO says will reduce average wages in America for 12 years, increase unemployment for 7 years, and reduce per capita GNP growth over 25 years? A bill that will admit 30 million people to permanent legal status in the next 10 years? That will dramatically increase the annual immigration flow, and will double the guest worker flow? — Jeff Sessions

It is time to stand strong for the American people. It is time to champion the interests of those constantly neglected on the question of immigration: the men and women and children we represent - the citizens of this country to whom we owe our ultimate allegiance. — Jeff Sessions

We need to resist the temptation to create more entitlements and more entitlements, which is one of the reasons we are heading recklessly toward fiscal crisis. — Jeff Sessions

As the witness testified before my Subcommittee on Immigration, that barriers magnify the ability of every Border Patrol agent to be more effective. And so if you make up your mind, you can build substantial mileage barriers. It will increase the ability of our officers to perform, and the most important thing is, it sends a message to the world, the border is closed. — Jeff Sessions

I believe that President [George W.] Bush was correct. I thought that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and I supported him steadfastly, and once we committed we should see it through. — Jeff Sessions

I remain deeply concerned about falling wages and the lack of good jobs for Americans. Too many of our citizens are either stuck in place or falling behind, and too often their needs are forgotten. — Jeff Sessions

It's perfectly reasonable and responsible policy for any nation to maintain its sovereignty, to protect its borders. And [Donald] Trump does not believe in ending immigration. He's never proposed that. — Jeff Sessions

Basically [I become a Republican], pretty early. I had an English teacher that got me to subscribe to the National Review. — Jeff Sessions

We don't pay judges to think; we pay judges to rule on the law. — Jeff Sessions

Encouraging self-sufficiency must be a bedrock for our immigration policy, with the goal of reducing poverty, strengthening the family, and promoting our economic values. But Administration officials and their policies are working actively against this goal. — Jeff Sessions

Bin Laden, who was in his country, attacked and damaged our Pentagon, and killed our soldiers right out here at the Pentagon. But his pentagon no longer exists. It is rubble. — Jeff Sessions

I've said many times - I told William Buckley, I said, "You warped my mind and I never recovered from it." That was a principled, lawful understanding of the role of government, the Constitution. It was not based on racism, on demagoguery, but on strong principles that - which, consistent with the American heritage and our strength for the future. — Jeff Sessions

I grew up, really, in the country.When I was a kid there were three country stores, a railroad depot, and a post office. — Jeff Sessions

The basic social contract is that citizens agree to follow the law, pay their taxes, and devote their love and loyalty to their country, and in exchange, the nation commits to preserve and protect and serve their interests, safeguard their freedom, and return to them in kind their first allegiance and loyalty. — Jeff Sessions

My parents, both of them had teachers in their family and were pretty well read. So my father voted for [Dwight] Eisenhower. — Jeff Sessions

Every senator needs to stand up and represent their constituents - not big business, not the ACLU, not activist groups, not political interests, but the American interests, the workers' interests. — Jeff Sessions

Thirty years people have been asking for a lawful system of immigration to end this lawlessness, and government on both parties have refused to give it to them. — Jeff Sessions

There's a lot of overconfidence about this bill. We're going to expose it. It will not pass. — Jeff Sessions

We'll have a national dispute - debate about it, and the goal should be to bring in - to help respectfully appeal to those voters that can make the difference, the ones who are not going to be entrepreneurs, are never going to be - run a - be a CEO in some big business, and they know it, but they would like to have their Social Security, they would like to have Medicare as they paid for all their years, and they'd like rising wages rather than falling wages. — Jeff Sessions

Those policies - more taxes, more regulation, more debt, more spending, more government - will make American worse. It just will, in my view. — Jeff Sessions

He [Donald Trump] is been bold. He's been bold on building a wall. — Jeff Sessions

I'm a big fan of the DEA. — Jeff Sessions

We should create an America in which it's - we can - Americans have a better chance to progress wages and job prospects, and we can do that. — Jeff Sessions

I think it's an honorable thing that Donald Trump is doing. — Jeff Sessions

At least 99.92% of illegal immigrants and visa overstays without known crimes on their records did not face removal. — Jeff Sessions

Ending the lawlessness at the border? I don't believe a fourth-generation Hispanic thinks that's evil. I don't think an African American thinks there's anything wrong with protecting their jobs for a change. — Jeff Sessions