Establishment Clause could be killed along with Habeas Corpus

[ck4829]

"Congress is currently considering H.R. 2679, the "Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006." This bill aims to prevent parties that bring up cases under the Establishment Clause from being awarded attorney's fees, making such cases less likely.

Anyone winning a case involving a constitutional rights violation can normally be awarded attorney's fees, on top of any damages, to cover the cost of hiring a lawyer. By targeting the Establishment Clause, which protects against government sponsorship of religion, observers argue that this bill deems it less important than any other constitutionally-protected right.

A number of civil rights groups have openly opposed this bill because of the discretion it gives the government in terms of promoting or sponsoring one religion over another. Michael Lieberman of the Anti-Defamation League states, "This unnecessary and unwise bill is an attack against religious liberty because it unfairly limits challenges to enforce the First Amendment's prohibition against government sponsorship of religion."

Removing reimbursement for lawyer's fees, which sometimes amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, will make it more difficult for individuals who believe their constitutional rights have been violated to pursue legal remedies."

http://www.civilrights.org/issues/enforcement/details.cfm?id=47335

Poor people won't be able to defend themselves against any theocratic threats? Imagine that.

[acmavm]

1. I feel so sorry for the kids growing up now. They're going to

want to know how the hell we could have let this happen to their world. How we could have let a bunch of thugs destroy this country.

[Javaman]

4. I don't believe that. Why? because they will have been born into

this crooked system and won't know any better. that's what the repukes are counting on.

[acmavm]

6. Of course they'll know. Do you think they're going to all be

handicapped and illiterate?????

[sam sarrha]

2. like a bucnh of F'n monkeys at a fascist salid bar..

[aquart]

3. This isn't a slippery slope. It's a freefall off a cliff.

And we have the perfect Supreme Court to ratify it.

Pardon me while my disgust for people who cannot merely practice their religion but must inflict it on others threatens to overwhelm me with rage.

[acmejack]

5. IS HISTORY!!!!

http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2006&rollnumber=480

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 480
(Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)

H R 2679 YEA-AND-NAY 26-Sep-2006 6:10 PM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE: Public Expression of Religion Act

TOTALS 244 173