Bennie Thompson, Dingell, Conyers, Reyes, Ortiz, other Democrats support Sierra Club lawsuit over border fence (DHS, environmental waiver)

A cast of Congressional characters (all Democrats; listed below) intends to file an Amicus Curiae brief in the case where the Sierra Club and the Defenders of Wildlife are suing the Department of Homeland Security to prevent them from using apparently congressionally-mandated waivers that would let the DHS bypass environmental and related rules in order to build sections of the border fence.

Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee attempts to portray this as a Constitutional matter:

this waiver by the Secretary of Homeland Security is a direct challenge to Congress’s Constitutional role. The American people entrust Congress to ensure that the laws of this land are faithfully executed not excused by the Executive Branch

However, the plaintiffs and a quote from John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, makes the intent clear:

our responsibility to be stewards of the earth cannot be thrown aside for the sake of an ill-conceived border fence

The others involved are: John Dingell, James Oberstar, George Miller, Louise Slaughter, Bob Filner, Silvestre Reyes, Solomon Ortiz, Zoe Lofgren, Sheila Jackson Lee, Susan Davis, Raul Grijalva, and Yvette Clarke.

Immigration2008a · Tue, 04/08/2008 - 12:52 · · Importance: 9