[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4541]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           REAFFIRMATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE RESOLUTION

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to ask my colleagues to join me 
in co-sponsoring House Resolution 97, the Reaffirmation of American 
Independence Resolution.
  We have a serious problem with our country's judicial systemic. 
Oftentimes judges will cite foreign laws when interpreting the United 
States Constitution and our other laws. This happened earlier this 
month when the Supreme Court cited international rulings and opinions 
in its decision to abolish the death penalty for juveniles.
  Foreign laws and the beliefs of foreign governments should have no 
bearing whatsoever when it comes to interpreting American laws. Judges 
who take these outside opinions into account are legislating from the 
bench and abandoning their duty to interpret the U.S. Constitution.
  It is time we hold our judges accountable for their actions. The 
Reaffirmation of American Independence Resolution states that judicial 
decisions should not be based on any foreign laws, court decisions or 
pronouncements of foreign governments. I strongly urge my colleagues to 
support this very important resolution.

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