Joe Moakley - Fighting The Legislative Veto

Fighting The Legislative Veto

Moakley is quoted and referenced in Barbara Hickson Craig's book (Chadha: The Story of an Epic Constitutional Struggle) on the groundbreaking court case INS v. Chadha (1983). Moakley's role in the affair was to hold in committee a controversial bill proposed by Representative Elliott Levitas. The bill proposed a sweeping generic legislative veto. Moakley saw flaws in the bill. Later, the Chadha case's verdict declared the legislative veto unconstitutional because the veto violated the bicameralism and presentment clauses of the Constitution. While others in Congress lamented the loss of the veto, Moakley commented that the Chadha decision would help strengthen Congress.

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