Tag: Senate

Supreme Court Nominations & the Constitution

  

I sat in this chamber twice. The first occasion was listening to the Supreme Court hear arguments. I don’t remember the case. My presence there, in 1981, was while I was interning at the Court’s history office as I worked on my doctorate at The American University. The second time was in early 1999 at a conference on constitutional history. Attendees were then served dinner at the Court. Of all the institutions set up by the Constitution, the Court is… Read more »

Yes on Impeachment & Removal

  

Some may ask, “Why would you, a Christian constitutionalist conservative, support the impeachment of Donald Trump and his removal from office?” The answer to that question is found in the question itself. It’s precisely because I’m a Christian, a follower of constitutionalism/rule of law, and a conservative that I support his removal. Let me explain why. But first, I would like to set aside one phony objection to the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceedings: it is not a “coup.” Article… Read more »

The Gorsuch Pick

  

President Trump’s choice of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court fulfills one of his campaign promises. Gorsuch, from all accounts I’ve read, will be a superb replacement for Antonin Scalia. Those who know him praise his keen mind and devotion to following the Constitution and not making up rights that don’t really exist. His record as a judge is stellar on issues of religious liberty. His explanations for his opinions (often as dissents to the prevailing liberal majority in his… Read more »

Antonin Scalia: A Tribute

  

Every time famous people die, cartoonists depict them entering into heaven. I’m usually put off by those cartoons because of the underlying assumption that heaven is everyone’s destination after death, which is categorically untrue. I’ve made exceptions in the past: Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher come to mind. I loved what cartoonists did with their entrance into heaven because of my assurance that they had a genuine faith. I feel the same with the passing of Antonin Scalia, a faithful… Read more »

The Senate & Planned Parenthood

  

The Senate’s vote on the bill to defund Planned Parenthood went the way most people expected. Fifty-three senators, mostly Republicans, voted to end the debate and move to a straight up-and-down vote on the funding. That’s a majority. But, according to Senate rules, 60 votes are needed to get past the debate stage. A grand total of two Democrats voted to go on to the vote. Two. Now, some of my conservative friends will spend all their time critiquing the… Read more »

The Senate Benghazi Report: Assigning Blame

  

Periodically, the American public needs to be reminded that on September 11, 2012, four Americans—including the ambassador to Libya—were murdered in Benghazi. Investigations into what happened, who was responsible for the lack of security, why the military sent no help, who was involved in the attack, etc., have been ongoing. One of the main problems with getting answers is that the Obama administration has refused to cooperate fully. Some people who were on the ground in Libya and others in… Read more »

Going Nuclear in the Senate

  

Nearly everyone in America believes in majority rule, but that comes in different forms. Majority rule doesn’t always mean a simple majority—anything above 50%—but can also be set up as a type of super-majority. That’s why the Founders said that amendments to the Constitution would require 3/4 of the states voting in favor, not just one more than half. They also said that presidential vetoes could be overridden by a 2/3 vote in each chamber of Congress. Similarly, no president… Read more »