Do Members of Congress Have a Duty to Interpret the Constitution for Themselves?
Short video featuring James Buckley
Short video featuring James Buckley
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Is Constitutional interpretation only a job for judges? The Hon. James Buckley explains that both judges and members of Congress swear an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. However, the jobs differ in that judges must impartially examine the existing law while Congressmen can propose new legislation that is pursuant to the Constitution.
The Honorable James Buckley is a retired judge from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and a former U.S. Senator.
This project is part of the Federalist Society’s Article I Initiative, which explores the proper role of Congress according to its constitutional design. To learn more, please visit the Article I Initiative website: https://fedsoc.org/articlei
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (ret.) and former U.S. Senator
James L. Buckley was born in New York City in 1923, grew up in rural Connecticut, and received his B.A. degree from Yale. Following service as a naval officer in World War II, he returned to New Haven to secure his law degree. After several years in private practice, he joined a group of small companies engaged in oil exploration abroad. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1970 as the candidate of New York's Conservative Party. He failed of re-election; but he has since served as an under secretary of state in the Reagan administration, as president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich, Germany, and, most recently, as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He retired in 2000 and now resides in Bethesda, Maryland.