Perspective: Congress isn’t just a co-equal branch. We’re first among equals.
By Jamie Raskin Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, represents Maryland’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the Judiciary and Oversight Committees. He is an emeritus professor of constitutional law at American University’s Washington College of Law. May 10 Constitutional crisis looms, preceded by constitutional illiteracy and confusion, which now hang like a thick fog over Washington.
The founders replaced the intertwined monarchical and theocratic forms of government that prevailed in the 18th century with representative democracy so the people could govern, which is why our Constitution begins with those three magic words: “We the People.” It then establishes Congress in the very next sentence, placing our representative institutions, “a Senate and House of Representatives,” right after the sovereign people and way ahead of everything else.
Congressional supremacy has been tested time and again. A crucial showdown took place in 1952, when President Harry Truman directed his commerce secretary to take over the country’s steel mills. The president thought the power to keep the steel factories humming during the Korean War was self-evident and inherent in his role as commander in chief. But in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v.
The presidency in the modern era has been inflated and aggrandized beyond anything the founders might have wished for or even recognized. The growth of the national security state after World War II gave the president a massive apparatus for practicing foreign intervention and waging unilateral, undeclared wars. Television and social media have exaggerated the natural political advantages of the branch of government defined by a single leader.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Sum of the Parts of STEM Toys Can Equal a Giant MessA new generation of knickknacks meant to inspire a love of science and math can become a headache for parents. Legos aren’t the only floor hazard.
Read more »
Opinion | Trump tries to obliterate the first branch of governmentOpinion: Trump tries to obliterate the first branch of government
Read more »
Perspective | Andrew Beyer: The Kentucky Derby decision was a bad oneWhile Maximum Security may have veered off course, officials should disqualify a horse only when a foul has affected the outcome, or is particularly egregious.
Read more »
Congress needs to help officers, first responders still dying from 9/11: OPINIONOn Friday, May 10, the NYPD will add the names of 47 our fallen heroes to the Police Memorial in the lobby of One Police Plaza, in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Read more »
Opinion | The war in Washington isn’t between Trump and Democrats. It’s between Trump and Congress.Opinion: The war in Washington isn’t between Trump and Democrats. It’s between Trump and Congress.
Read more »
Perspective | One year into Melania Trump’s Be Best program, she continues her miscalculation of the first lady roleThe position could be a powerful messaging tool for her husband’s administration. Melania Trump (or the West Wing) still doesn’t seem to get that.
Read more »
Opinion | We’re killing off our planet, and our enlightenment may come too lateA U.N. report’s findings will be widely noted and lamented; its recommendations widely ignored.
Read more »
Opinion | We’re finally inching toward a smarter understanding of ‘electability’It's not just about whether you're a white male centrist, or even what's on your résumé.
Read more »
Opinion | We’re in danger of killing off the biodiversity that makes our way of life possibleAnd not surprisingly, we’re not approaching this fast-coming catastrophe with anything near the urgency it needs.
Read more »
‘The moment we’re in’: United as baseball champions, Boston Red Sox are divided by TrumpMost of the team’s Latino and black players are skipping a traditional ceremony at the White House, which the white players will attend.
Read more »
The Kitchen Tool We’re Coveting Right NowThis spice mill makes light work of grinding seeds, pods and peppercorns. And it looks awfully good doing it.
Read more »