--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem... is that most members of…" description: "\"The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.\" — John McCain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png" --- # The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay… ![“The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.” quote by John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png) > “The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.” [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many legislators are disengaged from current events, leading to ineffective governance. **In simple terms:** Congress members often ignore what’s happening. Key Takeaway Encourage active participation and informed decision‑making. Themes politics engagement information leadership responsibility Mood concerned optimistic Type political motivational When to use this quote - town hall meetings - policy briefings - constituent outreach - legislative training Key Concepts civic duty media literacy Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens keep representatives accountable? - What incentives promote legislative attentiveness? A Different Perspective Even informed members may face partisan pressures that limit attention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [The biggest surprise to me is many members in Congress don't actually work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-taylor-greene/the-biggest-surprise-to-me-is-many-members-in-congress-don-t-actually/) [Marjorie Taylor Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-taylor-greene/) > [Typically, members of Congress don't just hear a story about a program and indicate whether they support it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gaetz/typically-members-of-congress-don-t-just-hear-a-story-about-a-program/) [Matt Gaetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gaetz/) > [I don't score members of Congress; I don't conceive of my job as moving members of Congress to the utmost left position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/i-don-t-score-members-of-congress-i-don-t-conceive-of-my-job-as/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [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/) > [You have to be local. You have to focus on your local members of Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/you-have-to-be-local-you-have-to-focus-on-your-local-members-of/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [I request that they may be considered in confidence, until the members of Congress are fully possessed of their contents, and shall have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-request-that-they-may-be-considered-in-confidence-until-the-members/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [If there's a distinct group of Americans who harbor open contempt for constitutional principles and rule of law, it's lawyers, judges and members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/if-there-s-a-distinct-group-of-americans-who-harbor-open-contempt-for/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Congress is the third branch of government... which makes every one of the 535 members of Congress 1/535th of that important one-third, which works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/congress-is-the-third-branch-of-government-which-makes-every-one-of/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [If a trip is worth taking, members of Congress should be prepared to justify paying for it out of their office accounts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-feingold/if-a-trip-is-worth-taking-members-of-congress-should-be-prepared-to/) [Russ Feingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-feingold/) > [What is required from members of Congress and the public alike is a new spirit of devotion to the national welfare beyond party or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/what-is-required-from-members-of-congress-and-the-public-alike-is-a/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [WASHINGTON - Ever since President Obama ordered American warplanes to begin bombing terrorist targets in Iraq and Syria last year, members of Congress have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-baker/washington-ever-since-president-obama-ordered-american-warplanes-to/) [Peter Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-baker/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I firmly believe that if members of Congress fail to perform their most basic duty in passing a budget, then they do not deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-schrader/i-firmly-believe-that-if-members-of-congress-fail-to-perform-their/) [Kurt Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-schrader/) > [I understand clearly as a freshman in Congress, you don't get to steer the bus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/i-understand-clearly-as-a-freshman-in-congress-you-don-t-get-to-steer/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [Most of what we report from Congress they don't care about unless it affects them directly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roone-arledge/most-of-what-we-report-from-congress-they-don-t-care-about-unless-it/) [Roone Arledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roone-arledge/) ## More by John McCain > [I have the utmost confidence in General Mattis, General Flynn, General Kelly, Dan Coates. I couldn't have picked a better team. And so I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-have-the-utmost-confidence-in-general-mattis-general-flynn-general/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Washington is a Hollywood for ugly people. Hollywood is a Washington for the simpleminded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/washington-is-a-hollywood-for-ugly-people-hollywood-is-a-washington/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I think that it's important that we understand the importance of the Hispanic vote in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-think-that-it-s-important-that-we-understand-the-importance-of-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This kind of horror has become all too familiar to us. As parents, Cindy and I offer our prayers to the memory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/this-kind-of-horror-has-become-all-too-familiar-to-us-as-parents/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The truth is sometimes a hard pill to swallow. It sometimes causes us difficulties at home and abroad. It is sometimes used by our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-truth-is-sometimes-a-hard-pill-to-swallow-it-sometimes-causes-us/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Countries, not just their armies, win wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/countries-not-just-their-armies-win-wars/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [My greatest fear is the Iranians acquire a nuclear weapon and give it to a terrorist organization. And there is a real threat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/my-greatest-fear-is-the-iranians-acquire-a-nuclear-weapon-and-give-it/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Presidential ambition is a disease that can only be cured by embalming fluid .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/presidential-ambition-is-a-disease-that-can-only-be-cured-by/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [On the subject of Osama bin Laden... we will track him down. We will capture him. We will bring him to justice, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/on-the-subject-of-osama-bin-laden-we-will-track-him-down-we-will/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [That's Joe Biden right there - unbowed, unbroken and unable to stop talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/that-s-joe-biden-right-there-unbowed-unbroken-and-unable-to-stop/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) [Explore all 539 John McCain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John McCain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-congress-don-t-pay-attention-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-congress-don-t-pay-attention-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/john-mccain-465_attention_the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-cong_2718292.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.” — John McCain", "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": "John McCain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problem... is that most members...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-congress-don-t-pay-attention-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-problem-is-that-most-members-of-congress-don-t-pay-attention-to/#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 } } ] } ```