We the People Act

The We the People Act is a bill in the United States House of Representatives relating to federal court jurisdiction over social issues. It was introduced by Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) on March 4 2004 as USBill|108|HR|3893, and was reintroduced and cosponsored in the following two House terms (currently in committee as USBill|110|HR|300).

ummary

If made law, the Act would forbid federal courts (up to and including the U.S. Supreme Court) from hearing cases on subjects such as the display of religious text and imagery on government property, abortion (see "Roe v. Wade"), sexual practices (see "Lawrence v. Texas"), and same-sex unions, unless such a case were a challenge to the Constitutionality of federal law. It would also make federal court decisions on those subjects nonbinding as precedent in state courts, and would prohibit federal courts from spending money to enforce their judgments.cite web|url=http://ronpaulaudio.com/rpaudio/RonPaulRandiRhodesAirAmericainterview081607.m3u|work=Air America Radio|date=2007-08-16|accessdate=2007-09-27|author=Rhodes, Randi|title=Ron Paul interview battles Air America Randi Rhodes Show]

Because the bill forbids federal courts from adjudicating "any claim involving the laws, regulations, or policies of any State or unit of local government relating to the free exercise or establishment of religion", atheists have criticized the bill as removing federal remedy for allegations of state violation of religious freedom. [cite web|title=Why Atheists Shouldn't Vote for Ron Paul|url=http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/01/why-atheists-shouldnt-vote-for-ron-paul.html|date=2008-01-06|accessdate=2008-04-02|author=Ebonmuse] As an example of potential for violation,Fact|date=April 2008 of the Texas Constitution provides the (currently unenforced) requirement that office-holders "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being". The Democratic Underground online community published the holding that the bill would give state sexual-orientation laws special immunity. [cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-17464813_ITM|title=The We the (Evangelical) People Act|date=2007-12-24|accessdate=2008-04-02|publisher=Democratic Underground]

The bill is comparable to other jurisdiction stripping legislation such as the Constitution Restoration Act.

History

In the 108th Congress, Representatives Ron Paul and Roscoe Bartlett introduced the Act as USBill|108|HR|3893 on March 4 2004. Paul told Congress, "The best guarantor of true liberty is decentralized political institutions, while the greatest threat to liberty is concentrated power."cite news|url=http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48319|title=Bill limits federal courts: Would stop judges from ruling on abortion, same-sex marriage cases|work=WorldNetDaily|date=2006-01-13|accessdate=2008-04-02|author=Strom, Ron] On June 28 2004, it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

Paul's reintroduction as USBill|109|HR|4379 on November 17 2005, was immediately referred again to the House Judiciary Committee, which referred it to the same subcommittee on February 6 2006. In April 2006 the Traditional Values Coalition encouraged its contacts to lobby their representatives for passage; [cite web|url=http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2673|title=Action Alert: We, The People Act|date=2006-04-06|accessdate=2008-04-02|publisher=Traditional Values Coalition] the bill was also endorsed by columnist Rev. Chuck Baldwin. On June 29 2006, Paul reintroduced the same text as USBill|109|HR|5739 but with five cosponsors: Tom Tancredo, Sam Johnson, Walter Jones, Jr., John A. Sullivan, and John Duncan, Jr.; it was immediately referred to the Judiciary Committee, and later sponsored by Congressman Ted Poe.

Paul reintroduced the bill as USBill|110|HR|300 at the opening of the 110th Congress (January 5 2007), with Poe and Jones as original cosponsors. It was referred immediately to the Judiciary Committee.

ee also

* http://thomas.loc.gov
* http://www.govtrack.us

References