Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Constitution provides for just compensation where government takes property. On that there is general agreement. There is also agreement that the ability of government to take property must be strictly limited to a public purpose and that the power to take property must be used sparingly and judiciously. Those are… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill deals with when a government exercises zoning power and the big developer disagrees with that, what happens. It says you go into Federal court right away, which is more expensive for the local government to defend, and which is unconstitutional, as I mentioned a few minutes ago, because you have to go through the… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, the radical nature of this bill is that, as the gentleman from Michigan said, anybody picked up in Chicago can be subject to this bill. The President can determine unilaterally, look at paragraph 1 on page 3, that someone is an unlawful enemy combatant, or they can put the person before a tribunal, paragraph 2 on page 3, to decide if he is an enemy combatant. But you… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, this bill says the term ``unlawful enemy combatant,'' means, one, a person who is engaged in hostilities or who is purposefully and materially supportive of hostilities against the United States; or, two, a person who has been determined to be an unlawful enemy combat status, review tribunal, or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John Simpson on the occasion of his retirement from public service. John has worked as Director of Constituent Services and Senior Issues in the office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer since January 2006. Prior to this position, Mr. Simpson served as Director of Constituent Services for then Assemblymember Scott M. Stringer… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, with the approach of International Human Rights Day on December 10, I would like to take this opportunity to chronicle for the national record the life and work of a remarkable human rights activist, Jacob Birnbaum of New York. It is interesting to note that he was actually born on December 10, 1926. As December 10, 2006 will mark his 80th birthday, it is entirely… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this dangerous and unnecessary legislation. Dangerous because it threatens the fundamental rights all Americans hold dear, and unnecessary because the sponsors appear to believe that freedom is the enemy.
The right to engage in surveillance of communications is not at issue today. What is at issue is the right to spy on Americans in the United… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in reluctant opposition to H.R. 6143, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is the centerpiece of the federal government's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. H.R. 6143 woefully under-funds the HIV/AIDS resources the CARE Act provides; this bill is a deeply flawed… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, this is how a Nation loses its moral compass, its identity, its values and, ultimately, its freedom to fear.
It is ironic that the people who use the word ``freedom'' with reckless abandon, in everything from fries to a global vision, should come before the American people advocating the suspension of habeas corpus, secret star chamber tribunals, unlimited… Read more »
Mr. Speaker, this is how a nation that has become fearful loses its moral compass, its identity, its values, and, ultimately, its freedom.
It is ironic that the people who use the word freedom with reckless abandon, in everything from fries to a global vision, should come before the American people today advocating for the suspension of habeas corpus, secret Star Chamber… Read more »