Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 925, the Private Property Protection Act of 1995 and I encourage my colleagues to support the bill as well. The bill is not an assault on the Constitution and it is not a scheme to benefit a select few as some propaganda has suggested. The bill simply affords Americans the protection that they have been guaranteed under the Constitution's fifth amendment. The bill is easily the most important measure to protect private property rights since the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. Tomorrow, March 4, 1995, marks the 206th year that the U.S. Congress has met. When the First Congress met, there was great concern that the Constitution did not include a basic Bill of Rights to limit the powers of the Federal Government. In their wisdom, the First Congress proposed a Bill of Rights and determined that the Bill of Rights should guarantee compensation for the taking of private property for public use. When the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1789, guarantee of compensation for the taking of private property became the fifth amendment to the Constitution. Since the Bill of Rights was ratified, the fifth amendment has been relied upon to limit Federal intrusion into private lives without due process of law. When we look back over the past 200 years, it is easy to see a clear pattern of increased takings of private property.”