Monday, April 13, 2009

Support the EPA

...no, I am not talking about the Environmental Protection Agency... the Enumerated Powers Act. Let me take one serious moment here. No snarkasm. No attempts at being funny or crude. Dead serious, okay?

For every year since 1995, a bill has been introduced in Congress that would simply require new bills to state what part of the US Constitution gives them the authority to pass the bill. In other words, it is a simple matter of "why is this bill constitutional." No big deal, right? Wrong. It has never passed and has never even gotten a sponsor in the Senate. In short: they know what the laws they are passing are unconstitutional. Right now, the bill is making its annual trip through Congress again. I urge you to write your Representative and your Senators. Right now. I might also suggest you write Rep. Louise Slaughter, chair of the House Rules Committee, and Rep. John Conyers chair of the House Judiciary Committee -- that's where the bill currently sits. You can even steal my text if you are too lazy to write it yourself. I give you permission.

I am writing to you in order to express my support for the pending HR450 resolution, aka "The Enumerated Powers Act." In my view, this is not a left vs. right or liberal vs. conservative issue. This act merely answers the question "Should the US Congress be required to follow the Constitution?" As a concerned, voting citizen, I can only imagine that the logical answer is "Yes." And as a member of Congress, I should expect the same answer.
In fact, I believe you probably swore an oath at one time that said "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." This and this alone should make you legally and morally bound to support this bill, or any subsequent bill like it. Support for this bill just means you are doing your job. Lack of support (be it a no vote or even just ignoring it and hoping it will go way) should be considered an affront to the Constitution. In fact, I consider non-support to be an admission that the laws you are passing are unconstitutional.
[Later Edit: Louise Slaughter seems impossible to contact in a timely manner. The electronic form forces you to use the state of New York and clearly states "Due to safety concerns regarding U.S. Postal mail sent to Washington D.C., mail delivery is severely delayed." John Conyers seems to have a timely server error that states "The document you requested can not be found or is undergoing routine maintenance." If you have a better way to contact them, leave it in the comments.]

3 comments:

Og Make Blog said...

An excellent idea. Thank you for the heads up.

For Conyers:

If you have questions or would just like to talk, call me in my office:

* Washington Office: 202-225-5126
* Detroit Office: 313-961-5670
* Trenton / Downriver Office: 734-675-4084

You can email me at john.conyers@mail.house.gov

For Slaughter: (shameful lack of respect for anyone outside her district)
Contact the DC office by phone to get her direct email.... (too late or I would do so.)
Just use the online form and put in your zip and tell her in the text.

I will look for more later ... there is a very good site with online contact info... just busy sorting out my taxes right now.

I'll be writing my Congresscritters.

Spork In the Eye said...

sweet! ok, I used the direct email for conyers and the web form (with note of "new york should be texas") for Slaughter.

Spork In the Eye said...

btw... I see my Rep (Louie) is a supporter/sponsor!

I really like this guy as long as there isn't a "traditional republican" issue. I heard him the other day on the news on some religious issue (maybe gay marriage?) and he wasn't as likable. What is it with folks not understanding a consistent view of individual rights?