---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have…"
description: "\"As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have the responsibility to act as a check on the federal government when it infringes upon our sovereignty, includi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg"
---

#  As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have the…

![“As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have the responsibility to act as a check on the federal government when it infringes upon our sovereignty, including on Pennsylvanians' constitutional rights to clean air and pure water.” quote by Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg)

> “As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have the responsibility to act as a check on the federal government when it infringes upon our sovereignty, including on Pennsylvanians' constitutional rights to clean air and pure water.”

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

## About This Quote

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

The state must defend its sovereignty and citizens' rights against federal overreach, especially environmental protections.

**In simple terms:** Protect state rights and clean environment from federal intrusion.

Key Takeaway

Guard state sovereignty and environmental health.

Themes

law environment federalism rights

Mood

assertive concerned

Type

political policy

When to use this quote

- policy making
- legal challenges
- public health advocacy

Key Concepts

Sovereignty clean air water safety

Questions to Reflect On

- How can states ensure clean water?
- What limits should federal power have?

A Different Perspective

Balancing federal and state powers is complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Clean air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean-air/) [Constitutional rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) [Federal government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/federal-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Pure water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-water/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/)

## Related quotes

> [“You have a responsibility to act for others when you're the only person in a position to do so. It's how you handle it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbert-rideau/you-have-a-responsibility-to-act-for-others-when-you-re-the-only/)

[Wilbert Rideau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbert-rideau/)

> [You have to take responsibility for how you act. You can't fix everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-davies/you-have-to-take-responsibility-for-how-you-act-you-can-t-fix-everyone/)

[Dave Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-davies/)

> [When our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-our-interests-and-values-are-at-stake-we-have-a-responsibility/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Special care should be taken of the health of the inhabitants, which will depend chiefly on the healthiness of the locality and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/special-care-should-be-taken-of-the-health-of-the-inhabitants-which/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [“From the beginning philosophy sought for The order behind the disorder                Thales sipped cheap wine                And in this did divine: “Why it’s nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/from-the-beginning-philosophy-sought-for-the-order-behind-the/)

[Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/)

> [“A pure fountain gives pure water”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/a-pure-fountain-gives-pure-water/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“The mist was very dark in here, white and wet, and the cobwebs festooning the gaunt tree trunks were weighed down with thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-gedge/the-mist-was-very-dark-in-here-white-and-wet-and-the-cobwebs/)

[Pauline Gedge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-gedge/)

> [I think the theatre is as essential to civilization as safe, pure water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-redgrave/i-think-the-theatre-is-as-essential-to-civilization-as-safe-pure-water/)

[Vanessa Redgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-redgrave/)

> [Knowledge will not be acquired without pains and application. It is troublesome and deep, digging for pure waters; but when once you come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/knowledge-will-not-be-acquired-without-pains-and-application-it-is/)

[Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/)

> [Like a spring of pure water, God's peace in our hearts brings cleansing and refreshment to our minds and bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/like-a-spring-of-pure-water-god-s-peace-in-our-hearts-brings/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [“A different day. – Even if the experiment of Biblical times supported the argument that it is the abuse of light wines and beer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deets-pickett/a-different-day-even-if-the-experiment-of-biblical-times-supported/)

Deets Pickett

> [“Closing my eyes, I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soshitsu-sen-xv/closing-my-eyes-i-find-green-mountains-and-pure-water-within-my-own/)

Soshitsu Sen XV

> [Château and hut, stone face and dangling figure, the red stain on the stone floor, and the pure water in the village well-thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/ch-teau-and-hut-stone-face-and-dangling-figure-the-red-stain-on-the/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“In one form or the other, the consequences of any action don't perish. Nature registers every little karma. I had this faith that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/in-one-form-or-the-other-the-consequences-of-any-action-don-t-perish/)

[Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/)

> [“Chateau and hut, stone face and dangling figure, the red stain on the stone floor, and the pure water in the village well--thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/chateau-and-hut-stone-face-and-dangling-figure-the-red-stain-on-the/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

## More by Josh Shapiro

> [If you ran a company with a failure rate of 68 percent, how long do you think you would stay in business? My guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/if-you-ran-a-company-with-a-failure-rate-of-68-percent-how-long-do/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [That's a fact of our federal system of government: each state runs their election differently - and that's OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/that-s-a-fact-of-our-federal-system-of-government-each-state-runs/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [The Equifax data breach, affecting the personal, financial information of 143 million Americans and 5.4 million Pennsylvanians, is an outrageous display of corporate malfeasance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/the-equifax-data-breach-affecting-the-personal-financial-information/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [We get stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/we-get-stuff-done-for-the-good-people-of-pennsylvania/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [Pennsylvanians deserve the freedom to walk down the street without fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/pennsylvanians-deserve-the-freedom-to-walk-down-the-street-without/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [Political violence has no place in Pennsylvania - the birthplace of American democracy - nor anywhere else across this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/political-violence-has-no-place-in-pennsylvania-the-birthplace-of/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [All Pennsylvanians owe a debt of gratitude to the veterans who have served our Commonwealth and fought for our freedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/all-pennsylvanians-owe-a-debt-of-gratitude-to-the-veterans-who-have/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [U.S. elections are run by counties, and the laws they follow are set by each state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/u-s-elections-are-run-by-counties-and-the-laws-they-follow-are-set-by/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [I know that there is nothing more crucial when making decisions than to have all the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/i-know-that-there-is-nothing-more-crucial-when-making-decisions-than/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [I believe Pennsylvania is a place for second chances - and my Administration has invested in and advanced real criminal justice system reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/i-believe-pennsylvania-is-a-place-for-second-chances-and-my/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [When I became governor, I made a promise to address the everyday problems Pennsylvanians face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/when-i-became-governor-i-made-a-promise-to-address-the-everyday/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [Across the country, we've seen what happens when competition in health care is inhibited: Hospitals close and prices skyrocket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/across-the-country-we-ve-seen-what-happens-when-competition-in-health/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [I've made it a point to listen to the voices of students, teachers, and parents in my Administration, and I've heard loud and clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/i-ve-made-it-a-point-to-listen-to-the-voices-of-students-teachers-and/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [From our small towns to our big cities, every Pennsylvania community has a main street - they are critical to our economic strength, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/from-our-small-towns-to-our-big-cities-every-pennsylvania-community/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [We need to step up for those who are most vulnerable in our system and show them that we give a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/we-need-to-step-up-for-those-who-are-most-vulnerable-in-our-system/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

[Explore all 100 Josh Shapiro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

## More Air quotes

> [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/)

[Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/)

[Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/)

> [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/)

[Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

Browse all 6,278 Air quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have the responsibility to act as a check on the federal government when it infringes upon our sovereignty, including on Pennsylvanians' constitutional rights to clean air and pure water.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Josh Shapiro"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have-the-responsibility-to-act-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Air"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have-the-responsibility-to-act-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/josh-shapiro-5517_air_as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have_2399928.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have the responsibility to act as a check on the federal government when…” — Josh Shapiro",
                "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": "Josh Shapiro",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As Pennsylvania Attorney General, I have...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have-the-responsibility-to-act-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/as-pennsylvania-attorney-general-i-have-the-responsibility-to-act-as/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
