Republicans to strike 'civil liberties' and 'civil rights' from subcommittee

Thursday, January 13, 2011 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: civil liberties, Republicans, health news

(NaturalNews) In an odd demonstration of seemingly pointless controversy, the new Republican House majority has announced its intention to strike the words "civil rights" and "civil liberties" from the name, "Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties." Instead, the new committee will simply be called the "Constitution Subcommittee", an act that some Democrats say demonstrates the new House's true colors.

"Once again, the new Republican majority has shown that it isn't quite as committed to the Constitution as its recent lofty rhetoric would indicate," explained Rep Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), chairman of the committee since 2007, to reporters. "It has yet again shown its contempt for key portions of the document -- the areas of civil rights and civil liberties -- by banishing these words from the title of the Constitution Subcommittee."

Nadler also stated that after reading selective portions of the U.S. Constitution on the House floor -- which estimates say cost taxpayers over $1 million -- the House ironically permitted Reps. Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) to violate the Constitution by casting votes before being officially sworn-in. The two were allegedly not present at the official swearing-in ceremony because they were at the Capitol Visitors Center.

On top of all this, Congressman Steve King (R-IA) introduced a controversial new House bill pertaining to birth right citizenship that some say is unconstitutional by nature because it aims to subvert the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause. All of these actions are indicative of a total disregard for the Constitution, despite pro-Constitution rhetoric, insists Nadler.

Laura Murphy, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Washington Legislative Office, is also quoted in a Raw Story article pointing out the irony of the new Congress's outspoken support for the Constitution before getting elected, and their current unconstitutional actions.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/republica...