Is the Senate Eliminating Civil and Human Rights?

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently announced the chairs of the various Senate sub-committees.  During the announcement we learned that Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) will chair the Committee on the Constitution.  The Committee was formerly known as the Committee on the Constitution, Civil and Human Rights. 

Through a spokeswoman, Cornyn explained: “We changed the name because the Constitution covers our most basic rights, including civil and human rights.  We will focus on these rights, along with other issues that fall under the broader umbrella of the Constitution.”

But the exclusive focus of the re-named committee was clarified in a Cornyn press release:  The committee on the Constitution will be a “watchdog against unconstitutional overreach and will hold the Obama Administration accountable for its actions.” 

It appears that the Committee will no longer focus on concerns raised by actual citizens, rather the Committee will be a vehicle to continue partisan warfare. 

More information on the name change can be found here.

Grassley does not stand alone. Committee chairs apparently have the right to name their committees.  Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) has renamed the sub-committee he chairs from one on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security to the Sub-Committee on Immigration and the National Interest.

We can expect that along with Sub-Committee names, agenda will changed.