[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24428]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             EMINENT DOMAIN

  (Mr. RYUN of Kansas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RYUN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, the House will vote this week on 
H.R. 4128, the Property Protection Act, to secure all Americans' rights 
to what they have earned. On June 23 of this year, the Supreme Court 
ruled 5 to 4 in the decision of Kelo v. City of New London that 
economic development can be a public use under the fifth amendment's 
taking clause.
  The public reaction to this decision was both swift and decisive. In 
Kansas, people are outraged. In a polling conducted by the Wall Street 
Journal, 11 out of 12 Americans said they oppose the taking of private 
property, even if it is for public economic good.
  H.R. 4128 would prohibit the Federal Government from taking personal 
property, private property for economic development purposes. The bill 
would also deny States and localities from receiving any Federal 
economic development funds if they abuse their eminent domain power. 
H.R. 4128 would negate this unfortunate ruling and restore Americans' 
constitutional right to be secure in the property that they have worked 
hard to obtain. I urge the House to stand with me and protect private 
property rights.

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