Congress Pushes Back as Supreme Court Oversteps

• By Simon Lazarus
• Special to Roll Call
• Nov. 17, 2009, Midnight

Since the 1980s, when the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist began steering the Supreme Court toward the right, some of its sharpest swerves have sheared off chunks of Congress’ power. This fall, a growing cadre of Congressional leaders have caught on to the court’s bellicosity, increasingly audible since Bush nominees John Roberts and Samuel Alito replaced the mellower Rehnquist and more centrist Sandra Day O’Connor.