Have sections of the US Constitution gone missing from government website?

EXPLAINER

A Library of Congress website temporarily omitted parts of Article 1 owed to a coding mistake corrected aboriginal that day.

It didn’t instrumentality agelong for net sleuths to announcement that thing was missing connected the Library of Congress website that annotates the United States Constitution.

Reddit users pointed retired connected Wednesday that the website omitted substance from immoderate sections of Article 1, which see provisions astir the close of habeas corpus arsenic good arsenic limits connected legislature and authorities power. Using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, radical recovered that the afloat substance appeared connected the Library of Congress website connected July 17 but was missing successful snapshots aft that date.

Some radical mistakenly said President Donald Trump’s medication removed these provisions from the constitution wholly without Congress’s input.

“BREAKING: The authoritative US authorities website has softly removed Sections 9 and 10 of Article I from the Constitution,” 1 Threads station said connected Wednesday. “Let maine accidental that again: They didn’t amend the Constitution. They didn’t statement it successful Congress. They conscionable erased 2 of the astir protective sections; the ones that woody with habeas corpus, limits connected national power, and Congress’s sole authorization to acceptable tariffs.”

Altering the substance connected a website would not region oregon erase sections of the constitution. It tin beryllium changed lone done a ceremonial amendment process, which begins successful the US Congress, which tin modify oregon regenerate existing provisions. The constitution’s afloat substance is besides disposable connected the websites for the National Archives and the nonprofit National Constitution Center.

The amendment process outlined successful Article 5 is the lone mode to change the constitution. Any projected amendment indispensable archetypal beryllium approved by a two-thirds ballot successful some the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Then it indispensable beryllium ratified by three-quarters of the authorities legislatures oregon via authorities ratifying conventions.

Government website omits constitution sections

On Wednesday astir 11am successful Washington, DC (15:00 GMT), the Library of Congress posted connected X that the missing sections were “due to a coding error”.

“We person been moving to close this and expect it to beryllium resolved soon,” the station read. The website connected Wednesday besides displayed a banner that said: “The Constitution Annotated website is presently experiencing information issues. We are moving to resoluteness this contented and regret the inconvenience.”

The instauration issued an update connected X a fewer hours aboriginal that the website was fixed.

“Missing sections of the Constitution Annotated website person been restored,” it said. “Upkeep of Constitution Annotated and different integer resources is simply a captious portion of the Library’s mission, and we admit the feedback that alerted america to the mistake and allowed america to hole it.”

Article 1 establishes the national government’s legislative branch. Its missing sections included portions of Section 8 and each of Sections 9 and 10, which mostly absorption connected limits connected legislature and authorities power.

Before being restored, the substance of Article 1 ended successful Section 8, conscionable earlier a enactment that lists Congress’s quality to supply and support a navy.

This screenshot shows a examination of the leafage archived by the Wayback Machine arsenic it appeared connected July 17, 2025, left, with however it appeared connected August 6, 2025, right. The highlighted substance shows a information of what was removed.

Section 9, which was temporarily deleted, details limits connected legislature power. It addresses habeas corpus, the ineligible process that grants radical successful authorities custody the close to situation their detention successful court. The conception says Congress whitethorn not suspend habeas corpus “unless erstwhile successful Cases of Rebellion oregon Invasion the nationalist Safety whitethorn necessitate it”.

Habeas corpus has been successful the headlines during the 2nd Trump administration. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters successful May that the medication was looking into suspending habeas corpus. Later that month, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrongly said habeas corpus is simply a close the president has to region radical from the US.

Section 10, which was besides temporarily removed, covers restrictions connected US states, including regulating tariffs without Congress’s consent.

Our ruling

A Threads station said an authoritative US authorities website “quietly removed Sections 9 and 10 of Article I from the Constitution” without input from Congress.

On Wednesday, the Library of Congress’s annotated website of the US Constitution was missing sections of Article 1.

The room said the contented was related to a coding error, and it was corrected soon afterwards.

Website alterations bash not impact US instrumentality oregon the constitution. The papers tin beryllium changed lone done a ceremonial amendment process initiated by Congress.

We complaint this station false.