Bob's Weekly Report - Protecting Private Property for All Americans

PROTECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR ALL AMERICANS

Almost a year after the Supreme Court's decision in the Kelo v. City of New London, the protections assured to Americans by the Constitution remain in peril. Several states have taken steps to place limitations on local governments' ability to seize private property for economic development; however, the threat of private property seizure using the power of eminent domain is still very real for many private property owners.

Eminent domain allows state and local governments to provide citizens with compensation for their property to advance public works projects such as roads or power lines. The Kelo ruling expands the ability of state and local governments to exercise eminent domain powers to seize property under the guise of "economic development" when the "public use" is as incidental as generating tax revenues or creating jobs, even in situations where the government seizes land from one private property owner and gives it to another private entity.

Today, citizens throughout the country exercise the right to private property ownership for their homes, farms, businesses, and places of worship. When citizens cannot be assured that their land will not be grabbed up by the government and turned over to another private entity for economic development purposes, then the constitutional principle of private property rights becomes meaningless. If the threat of seizure looms over the head of every private property owner, we cannot expect anyone to eagerly purchase property and invest their hard-earned money into land that can be whisked away by the government for almost any reason.

Late last year, the House of Representatives passed the Private Property Protection Act of 2005 which I introduced with a bipartisan group of Members. Under this Act, a state or local government that uses eminent domain to take land from one private entity to give to another for economic development purposes will not be eligible to receive federal funds of any kind for a period of two years. While economic development is clearly crucial for many communities, this legislation ensures that this will be done with respect for our constitutional rights. We are now waiting for the Unites States Senate to act on this important issue.

In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take away everything you have." The Kelo decision expands the power of government, striking a serious blow to the core values of our Nation. We cannot stand idly by while our Constitutional rights are so blatantly wronged.

Protecting the constitutional rights of our citizens continues to be a top priority for the Congress. Private property rights are fundamental, and by passing this important legislation the House has taken necessary steps to further protect property ownership rights for our citizens. Now it is time for the Senate to act.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/va06_goodlatte/042006.html