According to the administration's view, because someone does not trust the government, the government somehow thereby acquires the right to rob the person. His bill had the support of Democrats such as Barney Frank who rarely agree with Mr. Hyde. The Justice Department strongly objected to the bill and lobbied Mr. Hyde to enact sweeping expansions of prosecutors' forfeiture power. Mr. Hyde pushed the new bill through the Judiciary Committee on June 21 by a 26-1 vote. Asset forfeiture reform is an acid test of whether Congress and the Supreme Court truly care enough to protect the American people from the federal government.
Property rights are too important to cast overboard with each new passing political frenzy.
The U.S. can't afford to give law enforcement agents a blank check to violate the Fifth Amendment.