--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For senators to complain that they didn't…" description: "\"For senators to complain that they didn't know this was happening, we had many, many meetings that have been both classified and unclassified that memb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg" --- # For senators to complain that they didn't know this was… ![“For senators to complain that they didn't know this was happening, we had many, many meetings that have been both classified and unclassified that members have been invited to.” quote by Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg) > “For senators to complain that they didn't know this was happening, we had many, many meetings that have been both classified and unclassified that members have been invited to.” [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker notes that senators claimed ignorance despite numerous classified and unclassified meetings they were invited to. **In simple terms:** Senators said they didn’t know, even after many meetings. Key Takeaway Ensure transparency and accountability. Themes government accountability transparency legislation Mood critical concerned Type political procedural When to use this quote - policy making - public trust - media scrutiny Key Concepts information sharing security clearance political oversight Questions to Reflect On - How can oversight be improved? - What barriers prevent full awareness? A Different Perspective Meetings may not guarantee full understanding or participation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) ## Related quotes > [It is no surprise that the Republican-controlled Senate intelligence committee has once again caved in to the wishes of the White House and refused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/it-is-no-surprise-that-the-republican-controlled-senate-intelligence/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [The public needs to know the kinds of things a government does in its name, or the 'consent of the governed' is meaningless... The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-public-needs-to-know-the-kinds-of-things-a-government-does-in-its/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [They still have negligent auditing, they still have things going for a walk, and they have no idea where they're coming from and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/they-still-have-negligent-auditing-they-still-have-things-going-for-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [There is an obligation both moral, but also legal, I believe, against a reporter disclosing something which would so severely compromise national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-king/there-is-an-obligation-both-moral-but-also-legal-i-believe-against-a/) [Peter King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-king/) > [ I believe that when \[senator Ron\] Wyden and \[senator Mark\] Udall asked about the scale of this, they \[the NSA\] said it did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-believe-that-when-senator-ron-wyden-and-senator-mark-udall-asked/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I don't welcome leaks. There's a reason why these programs are classified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-welcome-leaks-there-s-a-reason-why-these-programs-are/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The program grew out of a desire to address a gap identified after 9/11 ... The program does not involve the NSA examining the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-program-grew-out-of-a-desire-to-address-a-gap-identified-after-9/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What I said was, the NSA does not voyeuristically pore through U.S. citizens' e-mails. I stand by that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/what-i-said-was-the-nsa-does-not-voyeuristically-pore-through-u-s/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Congress must go further to protect the right to privacy, to end the NSA's dragnet surveillance of ordinary Americans, to make the intelligence community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/congress-must-go-further-to-protect-the-right-to-privacy-to-end-the/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“The NSA is correct, 1984 is now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gurnow/the-nsa-is-correct-1984-is-now/) Michael Gurnow > [“Marcia Wilson was a good example of Omega’s core strategy for creating a New World Order. It involved placing their people, or moles, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/marcia-wilson-was-a-good-example-of-omega-s-core-strategy-for/) [James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Harry Reid > [It has been my honor to support and work with President Barack Obama, a man who has brought courage and character to the presidency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/it-has-been-my-honor-to-support-and-work-with-president-barack-obama/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [Now remember, we've already done more than a billion dollars worth of cuts. We've already done that. So we need to get some credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/now-remember-we-ve-already-done-more-than-a-billion-dollars-worth-of/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [The modern day anarchists known as the Tea Party, they believe in no government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/the-modern-day-anarchists-known-as-the-tea-party-they-believe-in-no/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [Coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick. It's global warming. It's ruining our country. It's ruining our world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/coal-makes-us-sick-oil-makes-us-sick-it-s-global-warming-it-s-ruining/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [I think it would be interesting to know about the Federal Reserve. I think we should audit the Federal Reserve - it's taxpayer's money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/i-think-it-would-be-interesting-to-know-about-the-federal-reserve-i/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway. In the summer because of the heat and high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/my-staff-tells-me-not-to-say-this-but-i-m-going-to-say-it-anyway-in/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [They've lost their minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/they-ve-lost-their-minds/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [ \[Social Security \] is not in crisis at this stage. Leave Social Security alone. We have a lot of other places we can look… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/social-security-is-not-in-crisis-at-this-stage-leave-social-security/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [This 21st century economy holds great promise for our people. But unless we give all Americans the skills they need to succeed, countries like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/this-21st-century-economy-holds-great-promise-for-our-people-but/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [There is no more important task in Washington than cleaning up the culture of corruption. Yet the president - whose White House has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/there-is-no-more-important-task-in-washington-than-cleaning-up-the/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [The cold war was the longest war in United States history. Because of the nuclear capabilities of our enemy it was the most dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/the-cold-war-was-the-longest-war-in-united-states-history-because-of/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [This war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/this-war-is-lost-and-the-surge-is-not-accomplishing-anything/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [Cut, Cap and Balance is worst legislation in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/cut-cap-and-balance-is-worst-legislation-in-history/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [As far as I'm concerned there shouldn't be a single boot on the ground. There's enough American blood in Iraq that lasts forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-there-shouldn-t-be-a-single-boot-on-the/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [They’re nothing more than domestic terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/they-re-nothing-more-than-domestic-terrorists/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) [Explore all 88 Harry Reid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) ## More Complaining quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [But if people will laugh at my work and keep a sound roof over my head, who am I to complain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-burke/but-if-people-will-laugh-at-my-work-and-keep-a-sound-roof-over-my/) [Billie Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-burke/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You shouldn't get to live in society and give nothing back. People complain about their taxes, yet they do nothing for the community. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/you-shouldn-t-get-to-live-in-society-and-give-nothing-back-people/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Once the war began, the government could do anything 'necessary' to win it; so it was with the 'final solution of the Jewish problem,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-mayer/once-the-war-began-the-government-could-do-anything-necessary-to-win/) [Milton Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-mayer/) > [I'll tell you that the dog whistle politics is badly missing the mark. Because, you know, as I've been speaking about it, sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naheed-nenshi/i-ll-tell-you-that-the-dog-whistle-politics-is-badly-missing-the-mark/) [Naheed Nenshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naheed-nenshi/) Browse all 1,994 Complaining quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For senators to complain that they didn't know this was happening, we had many, many meetings that have been both classified and unclassified that members have been invited to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Reid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn-t-know-this-was-happening-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complaining" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn-t-know-this-was-happening-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/harry-reid-7718_complaining_for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn_946684.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For senators to complain that they didn't know this was happening, we had many, many meetings that have been…” — Harry Reid", "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": "Harry Reid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For senators to complain that they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn-t-know-this-was-happening-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/for-senators-to-complain-that-they-didn-t-know-this-was-happening-we/#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 } } ] } ```