Congress Finally Notices Bush Has Usurped Its Power
The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings tomorrow into Bush’s use of signing statements and other attempts to circumvent the law.
“It’s a challenge to the plain language of the Constitution,” the committee’s chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I’m interested to hear from the administration just what research they’ve done to lead them to the conclusion that they can cherry-pick.”
Apparently, enough to challenge more than 750 statutes passed by Congress, far more than any other president, Specter’s committee says. The White House does not dispute that number, but points out that Bush is far from the nation’s first chief executive to issue them.
…Specter’s first hearing Tuesday is about more than the statements. He’s been keeping a laundry list of White House practices he bluntly says could amount to abuses of executive power — from warrantless domestic wiretapping program to sending up officials who refuse on national security grounds to answer questions at hearings.
It’s about time for the Senate to show a little backbone and call Bush on his power grab. We’ll see if this goes anywhere.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:49 am
I would not confuse Specter with his Republican brethren. There will be ice in the infernal regions before they seriously investigate the issues. I’m sure Alberto (”I decide what the Constitution should say and if you disagree, you’re a terrorist”) Gonzalez will set the good Senator straight.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:05 am
I love how these goofy congressmen (R @ D alike) invoke the holy name of the constitution and its absolute inflexible value when it suits them and then easily discard it when it suits them to be a “living” document. For instance, the burning flag debate and gun control. Too many laws!!!!