--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having served as the majority spokesman…" description: "\"Having served as the majority spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee after Republicans took the House in 1994, I've seen the promise and the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/ari-fleischer-11724_committees_having-served-as-the-majority-spokesman_2796522.jpg" --- # Having served as the majority spokesman for the House Ways… ![“Having served as the majority spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee after Republicans took the House in 1994, I've seen the promise and the peril of divided government before.” quote by Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/ari-fleischer-11724_committees_having-served-as-the-majority-spokesman_2796522.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/ari-fleischer-11724_committees_having-served-as-the-majority-spokesman_2796522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/ari-fleischer-11724_committees_having-served-as-the-majority-spokesman_2796522.jpg) > “Having served as the majority spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee after Republicans took the House in 1994, I've seen the promise and the peril of divided government before.” [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divided government offers both opportunities for bipartisan cooperation and risks of legislative gridlock. **In simple terms:** Two‑party rule has pros and cons. Key Takeaway Navigate political divisions wisely. Themes politics government division Mood analytical serious Type political reflective When to use this quote - Congressional sessions - election cycles Key Concepts bipartisanship gridlock policy making Questions to Reflect On - How can compromise be achieved? - What safeguards prevent stalemate? A Different Perspective Divided government can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Committee Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committee-republicans-3417669/) [Committees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committees/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divided/) [Divided government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divided-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [House 1994](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house-1994-3417667/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Peril](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peril/) [Peril Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peril-divided-3417668/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republicans Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans-took-554907/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Republicans also took control of the Senate after gaining another seven seats. I haven't seen the GOP get this many seats since Chris Christie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/republicans-also-took-control-of-the-senate-after-gaining-another/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [In a divided government, you can't just say, 'It's my way or the highway.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/in-a-divided-government-you-can-t-just-say-it-s-my-way-or-the-highway/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [I don't think that split government is a good idea. Conventional wisdom in Washington for years has been that divided government is good because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-walker/i-don-t-think-that-split-government-is-a-good-idea-conventional/) [Scott Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-walker/) > [A divided government doesn't have to be a death blow to foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-ortagus/a-divided-government-doesn-t-have-to-be-a-death-blow-to-foreign-policy/) [Morgan Ortagus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-ortagus/) > [President Clinton was able to achieve budget surpluses despite a divided government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/president-clinton-was-able-to-achieve-budget-surpluses-despite-a/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“This country was founded by people who were worried about government power—who knew that you cannot trust people in power. So they divided government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/historica-press/this-country-was-founded-by-people-who-were-worried-about-government/) [Historica Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/historica-press/) > [Health care reform, the marquee legislative accomplishment of the Obama administration's first term, was passed before we entered the world of divided government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/health-care-reform-the-marquee-legislative-accomplishment-of-the/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [ The trouble with the theory \[of limited and divided government\] is that government is not a machine, but a living thing. This is where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-trouble-with-the-theory-of-limited-and-divided-government-is-that/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [What I have said is, when the American people elect divided government, what are they saying? I think they're saying we know you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/what-i-have-said-is-when-the-american-people-elect-divided-government/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/before-a-standing-army-can-rule-the-people-must-be-disarmed-as-they-2/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [An elective despotism was not the government we fought for, but one which should not only be founded on true free principles, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/an-elective-despotism-was-not-the-government-we-fought-for-but-one/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-time-a-republican-wins-the-white-house-whenever-republicans-win/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The excuse of divided government is over: they have the House and the Senate as well; they have the state legislatures; they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/the-excuse-of-divided-government-is-over-they-have-the-house-and-the/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Ari Fleischer > [There are certain times you rattle the press's cages, and other times you don't, and you have to be discerning about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/there-are-certain-times-you-rattle-the-press-s-cages-and-other-times/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [The tea party movement and its passion arose in response to trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see and out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/the-tea-party-movement-and-its-passion-arose-in-response-to-trillion/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [The president typically never does comment on anything involving the Supreme Court cases, Supreme Court ruling, or Supreme Court finding, typically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/the-president-typically-never-does-comment-on-anything-involving-the/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [The greatest threat to the security of the people of North Korea comes from the government of North Korea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/the-greatest-threat-to-the-security-of-the-people-of-north-korea/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [It's time to create an Economic Growth Code whose purpose is to fix and grow the economy, not redistribute massive amounts of wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/it-s-time-to-create-an-economic-growth-code-whose-purpose-is-to-fix/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [But instead, Democrats are so bent on seeing Republicans as a bunch of angry, right wing, intolerant, unreliable extremists that they have a track…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/but-instead-democrats-are-so-bent-on-seeing-republicans-as-a-bunch-of/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [Everyone now has a sacred cow in the tax code. For my money, the most sacred thing of all is our country and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/everyone-now-has-a-sacred-cow-in-the-tax-code-for-my-money-the-most/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [There is already a mountain of evidence that Saddam Hussein is gathering weapons for the purpose of using them. And adding additional information is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/there-is-already-a-mountain-of-evidence-that-saddam-hussein-is/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [Because what I say from that podium has got to be accurate, and I'm the only one who's going to be held liable if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/because-what-i-say-from-that-podium-has-got-to-be-accurate-and-i-m/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [Reporters covering Bushs second term, under pressure from editors not to use unnamed sources in their stories, started asking their sources if a background…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/reporters-covering-bushs-second-term-under-pressure-from-editors-not/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [We believe in the fundamental strength of Israel's economy and have confidence in its long-term potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/we-believe-in-the-fundamental-strength-of-israel-s-economy-and-have/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [The reason the world is in the spot it's in is because North Korea entered into an agreement and then did not keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/the-reason-the-world-is-in-the-spot-it-s-in-is-because-north-korea/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [Bush to USSS: 'We need to get back to Wash. We don't need some tin horn terrorist to scare us off.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/bush-to-usss-we-need-to-get-back-to-wash-we-don-t-need-some-tin-horn/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/if-he-declares-he-has-none-then-we-will-know-that-saddam-hussein-is/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [The press secretary who starts to narrow down or close the president's options because he answers delicate negotiating questions no longer serves the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/the-press-secretary-who-starts-to-narrow-down-or-close-the-president/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) [Explore all 58 Ari Fleischer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) ## More Committees quotes > [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [“The reason you have committees is that you have divided responsibilities,” Jobs said. “We don’t. At Apple you can figure out exactly who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/the-reason-you-have-committees-is-that-you-have-divided/) [Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/) > [There is not a revolution that succe Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/there-is-not-a-revolution-that-succe-women-are-suffering-because-they/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [As the first Member of Congress from western Washington to serve on the House Agriculture Committee in over 50 years, I am proud to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/as-the-first-member-of-congress-from-western-washington-to-serve-on/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [It is necessary to get a lot of men together, for the show of the thing, otherwise the world will not believe. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/it-is-necessary-to-get-a-lot-of-men-together-for-the-show-of-the/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [Government likes committees... a lot. Committees kill all the really good ideas and generally all the really bad ideas. They produce middle-ground mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-likes-committees-a-lot-committees-kill-all-the-really-good/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That'll do them in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-computers-get-too-powerful-we-can-organize-them-into-committees/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [I find it profoundly symbolic that I am appearing before a committee of fifteen men who will report to a legislative body of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letty-cottin-pogrebin/i-find-it-profoundly-symbolic-that-i-am-appearing-before-a-committee/) [Letty Cottin Pogrebin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letty-cottin-pogrebin/) > [I come to this debate, Mr. Speaker, as one at the end of 10 years in office on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/i-come-to-this-debate-mr-speaker-as-one-at-the-end-of-10-years-in/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [As Mayor, I will fully support my Arts Commission and its professional selection committees so that they can commission a full range of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-newsom/as-mayor-i-will-fully-support-my-arts-commission-and-its-professional/) [Gavin Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-newsom/) > [What's insulting to the American people, the Senate, to this whole process is that the Republicans, with all other nominees, have said Democrats are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/what-s-insulting-to-the-american-people-the-senate-to-this-whole/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [One of the great joys this year and the year before has been how all of the people in this body, men and women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hayes/one-of-the-great-joys-this-year-and-the-year-before-has-been-how-all/) [Robin Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hayes/) [Browse all 623 Committees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committees/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Having served as the majority spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee after Republicans took the House in 1994, I've seen the promise and the peril of divided government before.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ari Fleischer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": 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