Videos tagged with Office of Legal Counsel

The U.S. Department of Justice, through its Office of Legal Counsel, has declared federal law 18 U.S.C. 1715 unconstitutional. This law prohibited the mailing of concealable handguns via the U.S. Postal Service. The DOJ memo, citing Supreme Court precedent like the Bruen decision, argues the ban infringes upon Second Amendment rights by unduly burdening the ability to transport and receive firearms, especially for law-abiding citizens. This marks a significant shift in federal interpretation of gun control statutes.

This video details a significant Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion issued under the Trump administration, which effectively ends welfare benefits for illegal aliens. The opinion closes a loophole in the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, which had allowed discretionary benefits to continue for non-citizens. The speaker, Mark W. Smith, a constitutional attorney, explains the legal history, including the role of the Chevron doctrine and its recent overturning by the Supreme Court in Loper Bright, in enabling this policy change. Smith also briefly touches upon his article in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy concerning delays in firearm carry licensing.