Did you say yes? Well I am proud of you, now please read and learn the 18 Powers of Congress. These are the ONLY powers that are to govern the country as a whole. (more below)
Article 1 – The Legislative Branch
Section 8 – Powers of Congress
1 The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
2 To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
3 To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
4 To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
5 To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
6 To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
7 To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
8 To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
9 To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
10 To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
11 To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
12 To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
13 To provide and maintain a Navy;
14 To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
15 To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
16 To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
17 To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;
18 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.
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Most people spew the first one without knowing what it means, this is their favorite line ” provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States;”. The problem is it’s read out of context.
Defense in this case means control of the border aka the perimeter of the country, protecting citizens from foreign invaders, think when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
Welfare, this is in reference to prosperity for the entire country and NOT that the Federal Government can do what they want. Had that been the intention there would not have been the list of the powers it did have. https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2014/08/28/the-general-welfare-clause-is-not-about-writing-checks/
So what does this mean? Here is the best part, if we cram the Federal Government back into the box it’s supposed to be in then we can return power to the States and each State and even at the county level can be run the way the local citizens want it.
Close the Department of Education at the Federal level, why let people who are so far from and removed from where you are decide how and what to teach your children? Why not have 50 Departments of Education 1 for each state? Then if you have an issue of what is being done in the schools you are working with people in your state and not some bureaucrat who will most likely never reply to you.
Roe vs. Wade this is another argument that is made. First of it’s unconstitutional, again if the states had the power then it could be decided by state or even county levels of government if they want to allow abortions. Then if you need this service you can drive to when they are legal.
Marijuana – same thing, let the states and counties decide, it’s not a Federal Power.
Same sex marriage – The LGBTQ community really did themselves a disservice recently. They have been up in arms for decades about be able to marry and wanted to be recognized. So they went to the the Federal Government and made a big stink about it and pushed to make it legal everywhere. What they should have done was read Article 1 Section 8 and said there is no law saying we can ‘t marry and proceeded to take on the states and eventually get government out of marriage. Why should you pay the government so that you can marry someone? Many states still have common law marriages, meaning that if you live together for some amount of years you are viewed “as married”, if you introduce the person your living with as your spouse it can be used in court if there is a issue for example executing a will.
So long term what could happen, I can only speculate and that I shall.
So the amount of Federal employees would be less, all of the unconstitutional things they run would be shutdown. So I speculate that your Federal taxes would be smaller and possibly your federal tax for would be much simpler.
On the state site, they would be maybe providing more services so your tax dollars would maybe go up a but depending on what the people wanted to the local government to be in charge of. Wouldn’t you rather have the bulk of the taxes you pay stay in your state? I know I would.
So Article 1 Section 8 plus the 10th Amendment is what we should all fight for regardless of who is in office or what our political leanings are.
It’s like the old adage, keep your friends close (Federal Government) and your enemies closer (State Government).
-Useless
