The Homeland Security czar is acting more like an old-fashioned czar every day.
Thanks to an indefensible Supreme Court decision not even to hear an appeal on the power of the Homeland Security secretary, we now have a cabinet officer with extraordinary authority to overturn laws.
The Court's decision, which came down on Jun 23, means that a lower court's ruling in favor of Homeland Security will stand, affirming the consolidation of power in the office of Michael Chertoff.
In 2005, Congress wrongly entrusted Chertoff with the unilateral authority to bypass laws if he determined they stand in the way of the border fence. Last year, he waived 20 environmental and conservation laws, including the Endangered Species Act.
The case brought by the Sierra Club and the Defenders of Wildlife concerned two miles of fence being built across the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area near Naco, Ariz. The groups claimed that Congress had abdicated its own legislative responsibility and improperly delegated it to the Executive Branch.
But showing an amazing lack of interest in this vital question, the Supreme Court didn't even bother to consider it.
The next battleground is in Texas, where the fence as planned would shut down the 557-acre Sabal Palm Audubon Center, along with several other conservatories.
Full Story: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1451321/
homeland_security_czar_is_acting_like_one_with_blessing_of/