Media Center

 

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota for yielding me this time. It is a pleasure to work with her on this, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important issue on the House floor today.

As we all know, on June 23, 2005, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of Kelo v. The City of New London. In Kelo, the Court addressed the city's condemnation of private property to implement its redevelopment plan aimed at invigorating a depressed economy. By a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the condemnation satisfied the fifth amendment requirement that property condemnations be for a ``public use,'' notwithstanding that the property, as part of the plan, might be turned over to private developers.

The Supreme Court decision was indeed a wake-up call, Mr. Chairman, for many communities; and I have heard loud and clear from my own constituents in Georgia that they are worried that their property rights are in jeopardy. Today we are going to remedy this wrongful application of the law of eminent domain and restore important property rights to private citizens. This is very important, Mr. Chairman, what we are doing today. And as a cosponsor of H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act, I believe that passage of this legislation will ensure that no Federal dollars will be used to unjustly take any property at the local and State levels. In addition, I will continue to support efforts to curtail the power of eminent domain in an effort to protect private property rights.

H.R. 4128 is important, and I support it because it prohibits State and local governments that receive Federal economic development funds from using eminent domain to seize land for economic development purposes, except for the construction of public facilities such as hospitals or military bases, and for use by a public utility, aqueduct, or a pipeline.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the States and local governments that take lands for private development could not receive Federal economic development funds for those years. I am therefore very pleased that the House is voting on this important bill today.