ACLU: US Constitution in Grave Danger
ACLU: US Constitution in Grave Danger
United Press International
Wednesday 25 July 2007
Washington - The American Civil Liberties Union Wednesday said it is
“do or die time” to save the U.S. Constitution.
The ACLU in a statement urged the U.S. Congress to “vote to hold White
House officials in contempt for refusing to cooperate with legitimate
congressional subpoenas.”
The ACLU statement said the issue had become “a constitutional crisis
that threatens to destroy the separation of powers.”
“Presidents have tried in the past to overreach in claiming executive
privilege,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington
Legislative Office. “However, Congress has long served as a check to such
abuses of power, slapping the president’s hand when needed and pursuing
contempt or enforcement actions that eventually resulted in the release of
crucial information. Today’s Congress must do the same if it wishes to
remain a meaningful and independent branch of government.”
The ACLU said it “rejected claims that Congress’ responsibility to
conduct oversight or investigate executive misconduct was somehow less
important than its legislative function and therefore not worthy of
compulsory enforcement.”
“It’s do-or-die time for the separation of powers,” Fredrickson said.
“Congress is facing a historic moment when it can fight for its rightful
place in our Constitution or accept the president’s continued and sweeping
claims of supremacy.”
The ACLU noted that U.S. courts “have long supported Congress’
authority not only to pass laws, but also to investigate their application.
The courts have asserted that claims of executive privilege are a
potentially dangerous proposition that should only be applied, and can only
be upheld, under narrow circumstances.”
The confrontation between the Democratic-controlled 110th Congress and
the Bush administration on warrantless surveillance has been escalating in
recent weeks, with both sides hardening their positions.