Congress Challenges Court On Eminent Domain

It seems Congress is fighting back.

Legislators Move to Blunt Eminent Domain Ruling (Account Sometimes Required)

Key leaders of both parties in both chambers of Congress vowed today to use the power of the purse to negate this week's Supreme Court ruling allowing local and state governments to use eminent domain to take private property for economic development purposes.

Finally, something bi-partisan.

Bills introduced in the House and Senate would yank federal funds from any city or state project that forced people to sell their property to make way for a project like a hotel or strip mall.

David Souter’s house should still be fair game.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) said he will introduce a Private Property Rights Protection Act that will prohibit any state or municipality from using federal funds for any project in which economic development is used as a justification for exercising eminent domain.

The lead Democratic sponsor is Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee, and the committee said at least two other Democrats are co-sponsors.

I was enjoying the cooperation exhibited by both parties until I got to the bottom of the article.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said at an earlier news conference that "very central in that Constitution is the separation of powers."

When is California going to wake up and separate Pelosi from her powers?

"When you withhold funds from enforcing a decision of the Supreme Court, you are in fact nullifying a decision of the Supreme Court," Pelosi said. "This is in violation of the respect of separation of powers in our Constitution -- church and state as well. Sometimes the Republicans have a problem with that, as well."

Violation of respect! What about the violation of the respect of the poor property owner! What about the respect for the inner city poor who can essentially be herded out of town with Supreme Court approval? Pelosi should never again pretend to stand up for the poor or middle class. I am simply dumbfounded that the lead Democrat in the House would show such callousness...

...Forgive my attempt at fake outrage, but I will come clean. It is exactly what I would expect of Pelosi. Dumb politics and support for Socialism.

Rep. David Obey (Wis.), ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee: "The idea that this House, every time we don't like a court decision, should decide that we're not going to allow federal money to be used to enforce that court decision is as nutty as the original court decision in the first place," Obey said.

Where were you after Bush vs. Gore?

In Sports:

Nats 7, Pirates 5
Nats complete yet another sweep.