"House rejects bill opening federal court access to seized property cases"

September 27, 2006 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

by Steven Geoffrey Gieseler

The Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 failed to garner the 2/3 majority necessary to proceed toward passage.  The bill would have made it easer for people whose property has been taken by state or local governments to seek redress in federal court.  The vote broke down largely along party lines, with most Republicans voting for and most Democrats voting against.  Some quotes from two of the bill's opponents, neither of whom apparently has the first clue about eminent domain abuse:

"This bill does little more than single out developers and corporations for a special fast track into the federal courts," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

"This bill goes so far (as) to destroy the ability for communities to control the spread of huge landfills or sprawling subdivisions, factory farms or adult bookstores," [Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.] said.

Conyers and Nadler are two of the most liberal members of Congress, professing to look out for the poor and the powerless–just the people this bill would help most.  Today's vote is yet another reminder that these two and their compatriots care not about actually helping these people, but about using them to expand the power and reach of government at all costs.