--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact that there is a robust debate in…" description: "\"The fact that there is a robust debate in Congress is good. The fact that the debate sometimes seems unanchored to facts is not so good.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/barack-obama-17_congress_the-fact-that-there-is-a-robust-debate-i_2431668.jpg" --- # The fact that there is a robust debate in Congress is… ![“The fact that there is a robust debate in Congress is good. The fact that the debate sometimes seems unanchored to facts is not so good.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/barack-obama-17_congress_the-fact-that-there-is-a-robust-debate-i_2431668.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/barack-obama-17_congress_the-fact-that-there-is-a-robust-debate-i_2431668.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/barack-obama-17_congress_the-fact-that-there-is-a-robust-debate-i_2431668.jpg) > “The fact that there is a robust debate in Congress is good. The fact that the debate sometimes seems unanchored to facts is not so good.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Robust debate is valuable for democracy, but when detached from facts it undermines effective governance. **In simple terms:** Debate is good, but must stay factual. Key Takeaway Balance lively discourse with factual grounding. Themes democracy political discourse truth governance Mood concerned hopeful Type political analytical When to use this quote - legislative sessions - public forums - media coverage Key Concepts critical thinking media literacy policy making Questions to Reflect On - How can fact‑checking be integrated into debates? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Fact‑free debate can erode public trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) ## Related quotes > [As I have been saying for more than a year now, turning this vital mission over to the Iraqi people as soon as possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-coble/as-i-have-been-saying-for-more-than-a-year-now-turning-this-vital/) [Howard Coble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-coble/) > [Healthy debate has been replaced by automatic sensors that eliminate the need for actual talking during a filibuster - a la 'Mr. Smith Goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/healthy-debate-has-been-replaced-by-automatic-sensors-that-eliminate/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Our philosophy is we call it as we see it. Sometimes you agree, sometimes you don't. Robust debate is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/our-philosophy-is-we-call-it-as-we-see-it-sometimes-you-agree/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [That's one of the major lessons: no president should ever take this nation to war without full public debate in the Congress and/or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/that-s-one-of-the-major-lessons-no-president-should-ever-take-this/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [I'm a fan of robust debate, and I'm not averse to engaging in the odd ad hominem attack myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/i-m-a-fan-of-robust-debate-and-i-m-not-averse-to-engaging-in-the-odd/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) > [Debt ceiling is something that, you know, any time the president asks for the authority to increase the debt ceiling, the debt burden on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/debt-ceiling-is-something-that-you-know-any-time-the-president-asks/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [Politics calls for robust debate and criticism, but this should never descend to personal and demeaning slurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-beazley/politics-calls-for-robust-debate-and-criticism-but-this-should-never/) Kim Beazley > [“Democracy thrived on a clash of ideas, a tolerance of viewpoints, and robust debate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-berry/democracy-thrived-on-a-clash-of-ideas-a-tolerance-of-viewpoints-and/) [Steve Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-berry/) > [Disease, a simple famine, plagues of locusts everywhere, or a cataclysmic earthquake, I'd accept with some despair, but no, you sent us Congress! 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How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Congress quotes > [Well, my wife, Cathy Gillespie, worked for Joe Barton, who was running for Congress in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gillespie/well-my-wife-cathy-gillespie-worked-for-joe-barton-who-was-running/) [Ed Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gillespie/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [So our focus has to be on the things that we can control, which is to take the necessary measures working with Congress to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/so-our-focus-has-to-be-on-the-things-that-we-can-control-which-is-to/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/it-s-disgraceful-that-year-after-year-congress-has-bowed-to-the/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) Joe Pitts > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [“ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/united-states-congress/congress-shall-make-no-law-respecting-an-establishment-of-religion-or/) United States Congress > [As the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, as somebody who came into office by defeating an incumbent Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-the-longest-serving-independent-in-the-history-of-the-united/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [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/) > [About one-half of the members of Congress are seekers for office at the nomination of the President. Of the remainder, at least one-half have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/about-one-half-of-the-members-of-congress-are-seekers-for-office-at/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [My younger self could not imagine standing on the floor of Congress as a member of Congress voting on legislation that, if enacted, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/my-younger-self-could-not-imagine-standing-on-the-floor-of-congress/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Rahul Gandhi cannot be a prime minister because he is a citizen of Britain, and his Indian citizenship will be cancelled; he won't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subramanian-swamy/rahul-gandhi-cannot-be-a-prime-minister-because-he-is-a-citizen-of/) [Subramanian Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subramanian-swamy/) > [We need less travelling by jet plaes from congress to congress... but more kneeling and praying and pleading to God to have mercy on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/we-need-less-travelling-by-jet-plaes-from-congress-to-congress-but/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [Well I think that what we're seeing now is that the people feel like they, the people in Congress don't have their consent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/well-i-think-that-what-we-re-seeing-now-is-that-the-people-feel-like/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) [Browse all 3,400 Congress quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fact that there is a robust debate in Congress is good. 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