Veto Message on Civil Rights Bill Footnotes and Federal Powers
The president returns the civil rights bill with objections. He argues the measure, by granting citizenship and broad rights to African descent and other groups, intrudes on state sovereignty, attempts to fix racial equality nationwide, and risks federal overreach into state citizenship, marriage laws, and judiciary. He warns it could compel state courts and legislators under threat of federal penalties, and questions constitutional authority to remove state judicial boundaries.