Individual Freedom, Not Government Control

To the Editor: 
On Feb. 20, Paul Ryan said, “A great patriot and public servant will be laid to rest today. In honor of Antonin Scalia, flags above the U.S. Capitol will continue to fly at half-staff until sunset.
“Justice Scalia did more than anyone in our time to honor and preserve the work of our founders. His passing is a terrible loss for all of us, but his work, always grounded in plain language and constitutional principles, will guide generations to come.
“As we move forward together as a nation, we must consider our responsibilities under the Constitution.  The Supreme Court is not an extension of the White House.  Not only does Congress have the authority to stop a nominee, it has a constitutional obligation to defend itself against a president and a radically-altered court that would continue to seize its Article One powers. We will fulfill this obligation to the people we serve.”  
Speaker Ryan is exactly right.  The Constitution must be protected against those who seek to rewrite it, either through executive powers or decisions issued by the Supreme Court to meet their own ends. Justice Scalia understood the importance of following, not altering, this legal document that is the basis for America’s existence.
The Founding Fathers understood the dictatorial governments the colonists had fled to found a country where their way of life would be free of central government control. That is why Article I, Section I of the Constitution directs that “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.” The other nine sections of Article I provide the guidance needed: to form the Congress; to instruct how to conduct business; and to identify its specific powers.
Article II of the Constitution describes the powers of the president. In Section II, paragraph two it states “He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Nowhere does it say that the Senate must act immediately on any nomination. Do not be misled by those who scream that the Constitution mandates the Senate to vote on a confirmation of any nominee the president suggests before his term in office expires. It does not.
Once again, the Founding Fathers’ wisdom in preventing one person from having too much power is demonstrated. We must never accept domination of our lives by a central government.