---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing that [the Senate and the House]…"
description: "\"The thing that [the Senate and the House] don't realize is that everyone wants them to come from beyond that contradiction so that we can all fix it. N..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg"
---

#  The thing that \[the Senate and the House\] don't realize is…

![“The thing that &#91;the Senate and the House&#93; don't realize is that everyone wants them to come from beyond that contradiction so that we can all fix it. Nobody is saying, &quot;We don't have a problem.&quot; Nobody is saying that, &quot;9/11 didn't happen.&quot; What they're saying is, &quot;We're not a fragile country…” quote by Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg)

> “The thing that \[the Senate and the House\] don't realize is that everyone wants them to come from beyond that contradiction so that we can all fix it. Nobody is saying, "We don't have a problem." Nobody is saying that, "9/11 didn't happen." What they're saying is, "We're not a fragile country, trust us to have this conversation, so that we can do this in the right way, in a more effective way."”

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People deny problems yet claim to seek solutions, demanding honest dialogue for effective action.

**In simple terms:** Acknowledge problems to fix them.

Key Takeaway

Promote honest, solution‑focused conversation.

Themes

politics truth dialogue

Mood

critical hopeful

Type

satirical informative

When to use this quote

- town halls
- media analysis
- policy debates

Key Concepts

public discourse critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How to encourage open acknowledgment?
- What structures enable effective dialogue?

A Different Perspective

Denial can hinder progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Right way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-way/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/)

## Related quotes

> [We cannot solve a problem by saying, "It's not my problem." We cannot solve a problem by hoping that someone else will solve it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/we-cannot-solve-a-problem-by-saying-it-s-not-my-problem-we-cannot/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [I have a slight problem with saying things I don't mean to say or just saying what comes to my mind I say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-35/i-have-a-slight-problem-with-saying-things-i-don-t-mean-to-say-or/)

Cheyenne-35

> [As a man, I have no problem saying I was hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-ward/as-a-man-i-have-no-problem-saying-i-was-hurt/)

[Andre Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-ward/)

> [The problem with saying yes all the time is that it won't make you Wonder Woman. It'll make you a worn-out woman. And soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/the-problem-with-saying-yes-all-the-time-is-that-it-won-t-make-you/)

[Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/)

> [I've never had a problem with someone saying "yeah you're pretty, but you can't rap." In fact, I've heard things about other artists, opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-o/i-ve-never-had-a-problem-with-someone-saying-yeah-you-re-pretty-but/)

Jacki-O

> [I have no problem saying I am 50.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neelam-kothari/i-have-no-problem-saying-i-am-50/)

[Neelam Kothari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neelam-kothari/)

> [ Everybody thought Barack Obama was going to \[inspire people\] when he came to Washington, but, you know, the Senate seems like the place where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/everybody-thought-barack-obama-was-going-to-inspire-people-when-he/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is - on the brink of catastrophe - torn by polarizing hate, and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/we-hear-every-damn-day-about-how-fragile-our-country-is-on-the-brink/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [That's the Senate Ethics Committee, an oxymoron since 1973.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/that-s-the-senate-ethics-committee-an-oxymoron-since-1973/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [We didn't see what happen when Marines fired M-16s... We didn't see what happened after mortars landed, only the puff of smoke. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-banfield/we-didn-t-see-what-happen-when-marines-fired-m-16s-we-didn-t-see-what/)

[Ashleigh Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-banfield/)

> [I never thought I would see it. I’m not saying it’s not possible. I’m not saying it didn’t happen. I don’t know. There’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-favre/i-never-thought-i-would-see-it-i-m-not-saying-it-s-not-possible-i-m/)

[Brett Favre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-favre/)

> [Of course, I didn't tell you about all the times I said I was going to hit one and it didn't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-mantle/of-course-i-didn-t-tell-you-about-all-the-times-i-said-i-was-going-to/)

[Mickey Mantle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-mantle/)

> [If it didn't happen, it wasn't the right timing. Don't be discouraged, be happy that it didn't happen before you're ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-it-didn-t-happen-it-wasn-t-the-right-timing-don-t-be-discouraged/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When I came to New York for the draft in '89, they told me I should be like 10 and 15, and it didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/when-i-came-to-new-york-for-the-draft-in-89-they-told-me-i-should-be/)

[Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/)

> [The things that don't happen to us that we'll never know didn't happen to us. The nonstories. The extra minute to find the briefcase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-shreve/the-things-that-don-t-happen-to-us-that-we-ll-never-know-didn-t/)

[Anita Shreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-shreve/)

## More by Jon Stewart

> [Clearly, I'm way older than everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/clearly-i-m-way-older-than-everyone/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I don't know how people feel,that's the beauty of TV, is they can see us, but we can't see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-know-how-people-feel-that-s-the-beauty-of-tv-is-they-can-see/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I don't think marijuana should be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-think-marijuana-should-be-illegal/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I reject the idea there are just two sides. I think that with the amount of ideas and thoughts there are, it's not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-reject-the-idea-there-are-just-two-sides-i-think-that-with-the/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [Megachurches. I can't be the only one frightened when our houses of worship sound like they could take on Godzilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/megachurches-i-can-t-be-the-only-one-frightened-when-our-houses-of/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [While opponents label (Howard) Dean a throwback liberal, The New York Times recently noted that as governor, Dean cut income taxes, reformed welfare and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/while-opponents-label-howard-dean-a-throwback-liberal-the-new-york/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [You just have to keep trying to do good work, and hope that it leads to more good work. I want to look back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/you-just-have-to-keep-trying-to-do-good-work-and-hope-that-it-leads/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [You know, in Saudi Arabia, you're innocent until proven Jewish. Female. Guilty! They're guilty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/you-know-in-saudi-arabia-you-re-innocent-until-proven-jewish-female/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-unfortunate-yet-truly-exciting-thing-about-your-life-is-that/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [A guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/a-guy-who-says-what-people-who-aren-t-thinking-are-thinking/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [Do you guys have to sell everything? I'd like to buy the Earth's core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/do-you-guys-have-to-sell-everything-i-d-like-to-buy-the-earth-s-core/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [Christmas and the New Year are actually two holidays. So there is a plural, which in the English language, necessitates the use of 's.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/christmas-and-the-new-year-are-actually-two-holidays-so-there-is-a/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [We're going to do a challenge. I'm going to try and download every movie ever made and you are going to try to sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/we-re-going-to-do-a-challenge-i-m-going-to-try-and-download-every/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [Our culture is just a series of checks and balances. The whole idea that we're in a battle between tyranny and freedom - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/our-culture-is-just-a-series-of-checks-and-balances-the-whole-idea/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [For me it was just exciting to see fake news catching on like that. We don't you know, it's interesting. I think we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/for-me-it-was-just-exciting-to-see-fake-news-catching-on-like-that-we/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

[Explore all 545 Jon Stewart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

## More Can do quotes

> [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/)

[Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/)

> [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/)

[Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/)

> [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/)

[Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/)

> [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/)

[Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/)

> [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/)

[Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/)

> [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/)

[John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/)

> [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/)

[Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/)

> [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/)

[James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/)

> [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/)

[Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/)

> [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/)

[James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/)

> [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/)

[Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/)

> [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/)

[Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/)

Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The thing that [the Senate and the House] don't realize is that everyone wants them to come from beyond that contradiction so that we can all fix it. Nobody is saying, \"We don't have a problem.\" Nobody is saying that, \"9/11 didn't happen.\" What they're saying is, \"We're not a fragile country, trust us to have this conversation, so that we can do this in the right way, in a more effective way.\"",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jon Stewart"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house-don-t-realize-is-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Can do"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house-don-t-realize-is-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/jon-stewart-455_can-do_the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house_2683994.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The thing that [the Senate and the House] don't realize is that everyone wants them to come from beyond that…” — Jon Stewart",
                "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": "Jon Stewart",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The thing that [the Senate and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house-don-t-realize-is-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-thing-that-the-senate-and-the-house-don-t-realize-is-that/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
