Edu
03-07-2008, 10:12 AM
It's time for Congress to, "Cite it, chapter and verse." Where do they derive their authority? When they pass new laws or spend taxpayer money, they should be required to point to specific language in the Constitution. The Enumerated Powers Act would require them to do precisely that. Help us bring this bill to a vote.
The specific, "enumerated" powers of Congress are spelled out in Article of I Section 8 the Constitution. There are twenty of them.
Because these powers are delegated from the people, they are the only powers Congress has. But our Founding Fathers went further -- trying hard to make enumerated powers so obvious that even a politician couldn't miss the point. They passed the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to shut the door to claims of additional power . . .
And it is the tradition of Congress, for each member, upon the start of their terms of office, to take an oath, promising to protect and uphold the Constitution. Yet virtually every day that Congress is in session these same oath-takers become law-breakers -- passing laws and expending funds on items that are not Constitutionally permissible.
Over the years they've used the Necessary & Proper Clause, the Commerce Clause, and Supreme Court penumbras to give themselves powers the Constitution doesn't permit. IN FACT, MOST OF WHAT THEY DO THESE DAYS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. If they had been abiding by their enumerated powers, the federal government would be much, much, much, much, much, much smaller, and far more decentralized than it is today.
Representative John Shadegg (R-AZ) has introduced The Enumerated Powers Act (EPA) - HR 1359 [You can read the entire bill on our Background page]. EPA would require Congress to reference the specific clause(s) of the U.S. Constitution that grant them the power to enact laws and take other congressional actions.
Easy to send a letter (calls are always better):
http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=87
http://www.downsizedc.org/
Mr. SHADEGG for himself, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. MARCHANT, Ms. FOXX, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. HERGER, Mr. AKIN, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. PAUL, Mr. MCCOTTER, and Mrs. MYRICK introduced the bill.
Ron Paul signed on!
The specific, "enumerated" powers of Congress are spelled out in Article of I Section 8 the Constitution. There are twenty of them.
Because these powers are delegated from the people, they are the only powers Congress has. But our Founding Fathers went further -- trying hard to make enumerated powers so obvious that even a politician couldn't miss the point. They passed the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to shut the door to claims of additional power . . .
And it is the tradition of Congress, for each member, upon the start of their terms of office, to take an oath, promising to protect and uphold the Constitution. Yet virtually every day that Congress is in session these same oath-takers become law-breakers -- passing laws and expending funds on items that are not Constitutionally permissible.
Over the years they've used the Necessary & Proper Clause, the Commerce Clause, and Supreme Court penumbras to give themselves powers the Constitution doesn't permit. IN FACT, MOST OF WHAT THEY DO THESE DAYS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. If they had been abiding by their enumerated powers, the federal government would be much, much, much, much, much, much smaller, and far more decentralized than it is today.
Representative John Shadegg (R-AZ) has introduced The Enumerated Powers Act (EPA) - HR 1359 [You can read the entire bill on our Background page]. EPA would require Congress to reference the specific clause(s) of the U.S. Constitution that grant them the power to enact laws and take other congressional actions.
Easy to send a letter (calls are always better):
http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=87
http://www.downsizedc.org/
Mr. SHADEGG for himself, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. MARCHANT, Ms. FOXX, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. HERGER, Mr. AKIN, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. PAUL, Mr. MCCOTTER, and Mrs. MYRICK introduced the bill.
Ron Paul signed on!