Cord Byrd: “as many of my colleagues may already be aware, in a decision announced today by Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the United…”

“as many of my colleagues may already be aware, in a decision announced today by Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the Line Item Veto Act has been found to be unconstitutional, an unconstitutional delegation of the Congress' power over the purse. While I congratulate each of the plaintiffs and their attorneys, this victory does not belong to them alone. This is a victory for the American people. It is their Constitution, it is their Republic, and their liberties that have been made more secure. Judge Hogan's opinion parallels a previous decision by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, also for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in Byrd v. Raines, as well as the opinions expressed by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens in that same earlier case. While I fully expect this decision today to be appealed and I, therefore, recognize this as a first step, I nevertheless regard it as an important step. For the benefit of my colleagues, I would like to take just a few moments to read pertinent excerpts from Judge Hogan's decision.”