--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having been in Congress, you know that's…" description: "\"Having been in Congress, you know that's part of our responsibility the constituent has a problem, We're supposed to write back and say, 'Well I can't ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg" --- # Having been in Congress, you know that's part of our… ![“Having been in Congress, you know that's part of our responsibility the constituent has a problem, We're supposed to write back and say, 'Well I can't do anything' That's not what they elect you for.” quote by Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg) > “Having been in Congress, you know that's part of our responsibility the constituent has a problem, We're supposed to write back and say, 'Well I can't do anything' That's not what they elect you for.” [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It emphasizes that elected officials must address constituent problems rather than dismiss them. **In simple terms:** Politicians should help, not ignore, constituents' issues. Key Takeaway Take responsibility and respond constructively. Themes public service responsibility politics Mood concerned determined Type motivational political When to use this quote - community outreach - policy making - constituent communication Key Concepts civic duty constituent relations Questions to Reflect On - What obstacles prevent officials from responding? - How can citizens hold representatives accountable? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [If a politician isn't perfectly comfortable with the idea of his average constituent, any man, woman, or responsible child, walking into a hardware store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/if-a-politician-isn-t-perfectly-comfortable-with-the-idea-of-his/) [L. 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He is elected by them, as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-a-certain-sense-and-to-a-certain-extent-he-the-president-is-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Congress should know how to levy taxes, and if it doesn't know how to collect them, then a man is a fool to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-morgan/congress-should-know-how-to-levy-taxes-and-if-it-doesn-t-know-how-to/) [J. P. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-morgan/) > [The reality is is that Congress is a very male-gendered oriented institution. Out of the, you know, more than 10,000 people who've ever been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-moore/the-reality-is-is-that-congress-is-a-very-male-gendered-oriented/) [Gwen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-moore/) > [Constituent service is about meeting our neighbors where they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cori-bush/constituent-service-is-about-meeting-our-neighbors-where-they-are/) [Cori Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cori-bush/) > [I decided to run for Congress because when I was approached as a community leader, I felt that one of the things that spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-rosen/i-decided-to-run-for-congress-because-when-i-was-approached-as-a/) [Jacky Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-rosen/) > [John Spratt did a great job of constituent service. When somebody had a problem, he would jump on it. The reason I ran against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-norman/john-spratt-did-a-great-job-of-constituent-service-when-somebody-had/) [Ralph Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-norman/) > [I have a lot of hope for the Constituent Assembly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/i-have-a-lot-of-hope-for-the-constituent-assembly/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) > [People have tremendous power, more than the average person understands, and certainly more than even I understood before I came to Congress. When any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-norwood/people-have-tremendous-power-more-than-the-average-person-understands/) [Charlie Norwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-norwood/) > [One of my goals here in Congress, being the youngest member of the California delegation, is to really try and get the institution to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-swalwell/one-of-my-goals-here-in-congress-being-the-youngest-member-of-the/) [Eric Swalwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-swalwell/) > [Every man must form himself as a particular being, seeking, however, to attain that general idea of which all mankind are constituents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/every-man-must-form-himself-as-a-particular-being-seeking-however-to/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [ So \[Republicans\] packed all the Democrats into districts, very Democratic districts. What that's done is made our party urban, more liberal, and so those… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collin-peterson/so-republicans-packed-all-the-democrats-into-districts-very/) [Collin Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collin-peterson/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) Darlene Senger ## More by Bob Dole > [It's going to be hard for someone like me to run for president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/it-s-going-to-be-hard-for-someone-like-me-to-run-for-president/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [I will seek the presidency with nothing to fall back on but the judgment of the people of the United States, and nowhere to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-will-seek-the-presidency-with-nothing-to-fall-back-on-but-the/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [ The California proposition \[Prop. 187\] is one I would agree with. That's the easiest way to put it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/the-california-proposition-prop-187-is-one-i-would-agree-with-that-s/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [A government that seizes control of the economy for the good of the people, ends up seizing control of the people for the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/a-government-that-seizes-control-of-the-economy-for-the-good-of-the/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [I've never known a lot of rich people. It's not my bag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-ve-never-known-a-lot-of-rich-people-it-s-not-my-bag/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [If something happened along the route and you had to leave your children with Bob Dole or Bill Clinton, I think you would probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/if-something-happened-along-the-route-and-you-had-to-leave-your/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [As president, I will fight illegal immigration in order to preserve an appropriate level of legal immigration. At the same time, I believe our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/as-president-i-will-fight-illegal-immigration-in-order-to-preserve-an/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [We're trying to get good pictures. Don't worry very much about what I say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/we-re-trying-to-get-good-pictures-don-t-worry-very-much-about-what-i/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [I don't know how many people run for vice president and president and lose both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-don-t-know-how-many-people-run-for-vice-president-and-president-and/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [Something is wrong with America. I wonder sometimes what people are thinking about or if they're thinking at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/something-is-wrong-with-america-i-wonder-sometimes-what-people-are/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [I will seek the presidency with nothing to fall back on but the judgment of the people, and nowhere to go but the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-will-seek-the-presidency-with-nothing-to-fall-back-on-but-the-2/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [You read what Disraeli had to say. I don't remember what he said. He said something. He's no longer with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/you-read-what-disraeli-had-to-say-i-don-t-remember-what-he-said-he/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [I think the Republican Party has indicated to everyone who wants to look at us that, you know, we're in the mainstream. We understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-think-the-republican-party-has-indicated-to-everyone-who-wants-to/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [If there is one clear lesson of our century, it is this: where aggression is tolerated, it multiplies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/if-there-is-one-clear-lesson-of-our-century-it-is-this-where/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [I'm not a Gingrich fan. He's just difficult to work with. It's either Newt's way or the highway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-m-not-a-gingrich-fan-he-s-just-difficult-to-work-with-it-s-either/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) [Explore all 82 Bob Dole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) ## 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": "Having been in Congress, you know that's part of our responsibility the constituent has a problem, We're supposed to write back and say, 'Well I can't do anything' That's not what they elect you for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bob Dole" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s-part-of-our-responsibility/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Congress" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s-part-of-our-responsibility/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/bob-dole-8280_congress_having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s_1973303.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having been in Congress, you know that's part of our responsibility the constituent has a problem, We're…” — Bob Dole", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bob Dole", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Having been in Congress, you know...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s-part-of-our-responsibility/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/having-been-in-congress-you-know-that-s-part-of-our-responsibility/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```