Caroline Fredrickson Undermine Quotations

Our government is based upon a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. The actions taken by the president undermine the very foundations of our country. We urge the relevant Congressional committees to investigate how the president abused his power as our chief executive. We applaud Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter for committing to hold oversight hearings. The American people deserve to know the truth.

The president cannot use the pursuit of national security as a carte blanche to undermine the very freedoms that define America. This administration - like that of President Nixon - has apparently secretly adopted a legal view of the Executive Branch's power that is unbounded. A commitment to the Constitution and our laws demand an independent investigation.

Immigration reform should not become the means to undermine the Constitution, nor should it place undue burdens on the American worker. Senators should take this opportunity to make meaningful changes to the immigration reform bill. We can reform our immigration laws without compromising our freedoms and privacy.

The Constitution exists to protect rights, not undermine them.