Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution sets for ALL of the things that Congress is authorized to do - or, as a practical matter, to spend money on. According to the Tenth Amendment, EVERYTHING ELSE is reserved for either the States or the people.
To review, here is a redacted copy of Section 8:
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties... to pay the debts and provide for the common defense...of the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;
To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish post offices and post roads;
To [provide for patents, copyrights, and trademarks];
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
To raise and support armies;
To provide and maintain a navy;
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the militia(s);
To [govern the District of Columbia] e;--And
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
NOTE THAT all of these things provide for GENERAL benefit, and not the benefit of any individual. No welfare, farm subsidies, housing subsidies, Social Security or Medicare. All of these are unconstitutional, although if Social Security truly were a "Trust Fund," with no taxpayer supplement, it might be permissible.
Would you vote for a politician that promised to govern according to the Constitution, as written?
P.S. Some people are majorly misled by "general welfare" verbiage here and in the Preamble. It is long established that such language does NOT give Congress a blank check to do anything it thinks will promote the "general welfare." That could be the subject of a different thread; don't waste ink on it here.
To review, here is a redacted copy of Section 8:
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties... to pay the debts and provide for the common defense...of the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;
To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish post offices and post roads;
To [provide for patents, copyrights, and trademarks];
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
To raise and support armies;
To provide and maintain a navy;
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the militia(s);
To [govern the District of Columbia] e;--And
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
NOTE THAT all of these things provide for GENERAL benefit, and not the benefit of any individual. No welfare, farm subsidies, housing subsidies, Social Security or Medicare. All of these are unconstitutional, although if Social Security truly were a "Trust Fund," with no taxpayer supplement, it might be permissible.
Would you vote for a politician that promised to govern according to the Constitution, as written?
P.S. Some people are majorly misled by "general welfare" verbiage here and in the Preamble. It is long established that such language does NOT give Congress a blank check to do anything it thinks will promote the "general welfare." That could be the subject of a different thread; don't waste ink on it here.
