Constitution

The process for electing a president of the United States continues to play out according to the Constitution. It includes several steps, none of which involve media organizations calling the race or projecting winners. Instead, states count the votes for the purposes of choosing electors to vote in the Electoral College, and the Electoral College’s tally must be certified by Congress. In many pre... Read more »

The process of advice and consent for a new Supreme Court Justice is currently under way in the United States Senate. While I play no part in this constitutional process as a U.S. Representative, I am impressed by the legal ability of President Trump’s nominee to the seat, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Senate Democrats, however, have chosen to wage a pre-emptive war on Judge Barrett. They are either tr... Read more »

In presidential election years, we debate the issues our country faces. Increasingly, the way our country chooses the president has become an issue up for debate. The Electoral College was the mechanism decided upon in the Constitution to elect the chief executive. It gives each state a vote for president and vice president equal to its combined number of U.S. senators and representatives (as well... Read more »

Responses to the coronavirus pandemic introduced a distinction between “essential” and “non-essential” workers. Based on how Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been running the U.S. House of Representatives lately, she seems to think Members of Congress fall in the “non-essential” category. I have written previously about how the proxy voting rules instituted in the House run afoul of the Constitutio... Read more »

Government surveillance of a person’s communications has been a persistent fear in the modern age. The increased means at our disposal to interact with each other also increase the means for someone to read communications not meant for them. In the book 1984, George Orwell foresaw intrusive personal surveillance as a tool of totalitarians. Fortunately, we do not live in a totalitarian state – at l... Read more »

Coronavirus Relief The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect our country and Virginia’s Ninth District. Its impacts on the health and livelihood of our citizens are still being felt. Congress has passed and President Trump has signed several relief measures. Negotiations about a new round of legislation, however, have stalled, primarily due to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) unreasonable de... Read more »

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order on safe policing: “President Trump’s executive order on policing takes the right approach. It will encourage transparency, best practices, and accountability. “I look forward to working with the Trump Administration and my colleagues in Congress on further reforms. We must instill conf... Read more »

Make Sure You’ve Been Counted in the Census Every ten years, the Census counts the number of people living in our country. The Constitution obligates this count, and although the 2020 Census ran into the extraordinary circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, the count continues with adjustments. It began with an invitation to complete the Census, mailed to most households in mid-March. Household... Read more »

George Floyd Like many Americans, I am appalled by what happened to George Floyd. The officers involved in his death did not recognize his constitutional rights to due process or even his dignity as a human being. I am glad the Department of Justice is investigating. It is right and proper, and the actions by these particular police officers was disgraceful. FISA All Americans fall under the prote... Read more »

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement regarding the planned lawsuit against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to prevent the U.S. House of Representatives from implementing an unconstitutional proxy voting plan: “The proxy voting plan passed by House Democrats allows members not physically present to cast votes, clearly disregarding the Constitution’s requirement of a q... Read more »