| |
Constitutionalism on the March in Congress, 11-04-2007
In the Senate, Senator and current Democratic Presidential candidate Chris Dodd, of
Connecticut, has introduced the
Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 (S. 576). This piece of legislation would radically reassert
the role of our constitution in the prosecution of the War on Terror, including reinstated habeas corpus,
disallowing any evidence gained from torture, limiting the ability of the President to define enemy
combatants and to redefine the Geneva Conventions, and offer many other protections for the rights of
due process afforded by the United States constitution.
This bill currently has 13 cosponsors. You can track its
progress here.
Senator Dodd, joined by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), has also been pushing in the Senate
for his Restore Habeas Corpus Act. This crucial
objection to current extra-constitutional American practices would have restored Habeas
Corpus rights, barred evidence gained through torture or coercion, and reinstated U.S.
adherence to the Geneva Conventions. This bill was passed by the United States, 56-43,
but did not have the votes to overcome a Republican filibuster. Senator Dodd has promised
to re-introduce the bill in the future.
A similar bill, S. 185: Habeas
Corpus Restoration Act of 2007, was introduced by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), currently
has 31 co-sponsors, and is set to hit the floor of the Senate soon. You can track its
progress here.
In the House, two bills bear special notice.
Representative John Shadegg, a Republican from the 3rd District of Arizona, has, in every
Congress since 1984, introduced the Enumerated Powers Act
(H.R. 2458), a law which would require that every bill passed by the United States Congress include
with it a statement “setting forth the specific constitutional authority under which the law is being
enacted.” Needless to say, such a law would go very far indeed in making sure that our Congress
consider and respect constitutional precedents before passing legislation.
The bill currently has 31 co-sponsors. You can track its progress
here.
Representative and current Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul, from the 14th District
of Texas, has introduced a watershed reassertion of constitutional principles in the form of
the American Freedom
Agenda Act of 2007 (H.R. 3835). Among other things, this bill would repeal the Military
Commissions Act of 2006, rolls back FISA loopholes, reassert the United States' legal
commitment against torture, end the practice of extraordinary rendition, restores habeas
corpus, and shore up First Amendment protections for journalists.
This important bill currently has no co-sponsors. You can track its
progress here.
To send a message in support of the American Freedom Agenda
Act, go here.
In all of these cases, citizen support is the key. To write your congressman, please
visit the House form. To write your Senator,
please visit this
page.
|
|
|
| |
|