US Constitution: Recent Change and Restoration (2025)
In 2025, the official US Constitution website (constitution.congress.gov) displayed a major change: everything in Article 1 after Section 8 was removed. This included:
- Article 1, Section 9: Limits on Congress (e.g., habeas corpus, no ex post facto laws, no titles of nobility, etc.)
- Article 1, Section 10: Limits on States (e.g., states cannot coin money, enter treaties, etc.)
- Any subsequent sections or clauses in Article 1
These sections are crucial for protecting individual rights and maintaining the balance of power. The change was highlighted in an Internet Archive diff and discussed on Reddit as a chilling development for US governance and law.
Update: Now they have added it back.
Legality
It is not legal to unilaterally remove sections of the US Constitution from the official record or website without following the formal constitutional amendment process. Changes require approval by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. Any removal or alteration outside this process is invalid.
Who to Contact
- Your elected representatives in Congress
- The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate
- The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
- The Government Publishing Office (GPO)
- The website administrators via the contact information on constitution.congress.gov
Key Sections and Their Significance
Article 1, Section 9 (Limits on Congress): Protects individual rights (e.g., habeas corpus), prevents abuses of power, and ensures transparency in government finances and commerce.
Article 1, Section 10 (Limits on States): Prevents states from acting as independent nations, ensures federal supremacy, and protects contracts and individual rights at the state level.
Article 1, Section 8 (End Portion): Grants Congress authority over the military, militia, federal district, and the power to make all necessary and proper laws. Their removal would severely limit Congressional powers related to national defense and governance.
Constitutional Amendment Process
- Proposal: Two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, or a convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures
- Ratification: Approval by three-fourths of state legislatures or conventions in three-fourths of the states
- No amendment can remove equal representation of states in the Senate without consent
Implications of Removal
- Eliminates key checks and balances on Congress and the states
- Removes protections for individual rights and state sovereignty
- Undermines the constitutional structure of US government
If you notice unauthorized or suspicious changes to the official US Constitution website, contact the appropriate authorities listed above.
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