The House has proposed its own reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It is an improvement over the Senate bill, but it, too, suffers from constitutional problems. As discussed in a previous Heritage posting and in a recent law review article, if enacted into law, the Senate VAWA …
Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to eat chocolate or dote on freshly delivered red roses. Oh, and to celebrate the 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in February 1818, Douglass was given the improbably dignified name “Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey.” Like many people born …
Steve Benen on MSNBC’s “The Maddow Blog” dismisses congressional efforts to repeal all or parts of Obamacare and admonishes conservatives to get with the program. Why? He says Obamacare “is here to stay.” What makes Obamacare untouchable? Congress considers countless pieces of legislation “to amend” this legislation or that statute. …
Delegates have known for months (or longer) whom their parties will nominate for President. With such predictability, the national conventions have been taken for granted, and a few myths have arisen. Chief among these myths is that conventions no longer matter. As AP managing editor Michael Oreskes puts it, they’re …
Since the passage of Obamacare, the federal government’s role in American citizens’ lives has grown significantly. In a recent lecture, Heritage expert Robert Moffit discusses how passage of the health care law has not only grown the size and scope of government, but has also ignited a debate over the …
The fireworks rarely fly on Sept. 17, but that holiday – Constitution Day – is just as significant as Independence Day. At least, that’s the thought behind a new joint venture of Constituting America and Let Freedom Ring. The two organizations have joined forces to promote a nationwide public reading …
Prior to his presidency, Senator Obama famously announced that empathy would be his criteria for selecting judges. Although Sonia Sotomayor deemphasized her empathetic understanding of the law, many on the left still advocate empathy as the criteria for judges. James Gibson is no exception. In a recent article, “Expecting Justice …
What do you think most Americans would say if the U.S. government created a new and exclusively race-based government with the authority to exempt itself from the U.S. Constitution and state authority at its own discretion? As ridiculous as it sounds, that is exactly what the House of Representatives voted …