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Sheila Jackson Lee says Constitution 400 years old

Sheila Jackson Lee mistakenly said the U.S. Constitution was 400 years old.

By Gabrielle Levy
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. (UPI Photo/Alexis C. Glenn)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. (UPI Photo/Alexis C. Glenn) | License Photo

As far as flubs go, Sheila Jackson Lee's "oops" moment on the House floor isn't the worst.

But the Texas Democrat did learn it's pretty embarrassing to be a member of Congress and not know how old the United States Constitution is.

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Lee, speaking on the House floor Thursday during debate about the ENFORCE Act that would give Congress the ability to challenge the president in court on the administration of laws, gave the Constitution a birthday some 173 years before its actual one.

"Maybe I should offer a good thanks to the distinguished members of the majority, the Republicans, my chairman and others, for giving us an opportunity to have a deliberative constitutional discussion that reinforces the sanctity of this nation and how well it is that we have lasted some 400 years, operating under a Constitution that clearly defines what is constitutional and what is not," Lee said.

The Constitution was created in 1787 and ratified a year later -- so it's 227 years old. Four hundred years ago, the first European settlement at Jamestown was just a few years old.

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