'Coding error' erases parts of US Constitution from official site
What's the story
A technical glitch has temporarily removed sections of the US Constitution from the official Congress website. The Library of Congress, which manages the site, has attributed this incident to a "coding error." The missing sections mainly relate to habeas corpus (protection against detention without due process) and the emoluments clause (which forbids government officials from accepting unauthorized foreign gifts).
Restoration efforts
Missing sections restored
The Library of Congress confirmed that the missing sections were restored by 2:00pm ET on Wednesday. However, the exact cause of this "coding error" remains unclear. The glitch is believed to have occurred sometime after July 17, as per Wayback Machine, a service that allows people to visit archived versions of websites. To inform users about the issue, a banner was briefly added to the website stating it was experiencing data issues and working toward a resolution.
Website features
Constitution website lets users delve into historical info, legal implications
The Constitution Annotated website offers an annotations tool that lets users delve into the historical meaning and legal implications of different sections. Article I, Section 8 outlines Congress's powers such as taxing, raising armies/navies, regulating commerce, and creating a national currency. Section 9, which was completely erased, deals with habeas corpus and emoluments while Section 10 limits states from entering treaties with foreign nations or establishing their own currencies.
Unaffected sites
Other federal websites unaffected by glitch
Notably, other federal websites hosting digital copies of the founding documents, including one run by the National Archives and Records Administration, seem to have been unaffected by this glitch. The original copy of the Constitution and a copy of the Declaration of Independence are housed in the National Archives Building in Washington DC along with other revered documents.