President Trump’s recent speech to a joint session of Congress, and the Democrats response to it, along with the White House meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky caused me to think of a song. “Send in the Clowns” from the musical “A Little Night Music” by Stephen Sondheim and […]
Howard Lurie: Thinking about birthright citizenship
“Birthright citizenship” is the belief that the US Constitution automatically makes anyone born within the United States a citizen of the US even if the child’s parents entered the country illegally. The basis for the birthright citizenship belief is the following provision of the Fourteenth Amendment: “All persons born or naturalized in […]
Howard Lurie: Shapiro’s actions strain our constitutional principles
In late November, Governor Josh Shapiro directed the state Department of Transportation to move $153 million of federal highway capital funds to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The transfer of funds from road projects to public transit aid is meant to avoid SEPTA’s announced service cuts and fare increases. […]
Howard Lurie: The other side of the birthright citizenship debate
The problem of illegal immigration into the United States at our southern border was a major issue in our recent election. President Trump says that he will address the problem by deporting illegal immigrants. Some have expressed the fear that he will be deporting children born in the United States […]
Howard Lurie: Mail-in ballots lack the security of traditional voting
In the next few weeks we will be going to the polls to elect, among other things, the next president of the United States. At least, some of us will be going to the polls. Others, where permitted, will already have voted early, and a great many others will be voting by […]