Joe Wolverton, II
The New American
01 March 2012
A bill has just passed the House and the Senate that criminalizes protests anywhere near the presence of a designated government official. On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted nearly unanimously (388-3) in favor of H.R. 347, the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011.
As part of this legislation, Congress expressly forbids trespass onto the grounds of the White House. Many likely believe that such a law already existed and they are right. The controversial aspect of this bill’s restatement of that statute is that it expands the scope of the federal government’s authority to bring charges against those deemed trespassers at any location placed provisionally under the jurisdiction of the Secret Service.
The present state of the law prosecutes White House trespassers under a local Washington, D.C. ordinance. Prior to this latest federal action, violation of this ordinance was a misdemeanor.
Under HR 347, however, the Congress endows itself with the unbounded power to impose federal criminal charges on not only those who enter the White House grounds without prior permission, but on anyone who participates in protests at or near a location falling within the greatly enlarged scope of this new prohibited zone.
The situation is serious and is a legislative end-around the First Amendment’s protection of the right to assemble and the right to speak freely…
…Under the law, any building or grounds where the president is visiting — even temporarily — is covered, as is any building or grounds “restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance.”…
…As is customary these days, Congressman Amash published his reproach on his Facebook page…
The complete article is at The New American.
Update:
