Steny Hoyer (D-MD) misinterprets Constitution again

Little-Acorn

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House Majority Leader Hoyer announced today that the "Welfare Clause" of the Constitution gives the Fed Govt broad powers to do virtually anything it wants to promote the welfare of the U.S. It was another misinterpretation of that part of the Constitution, common among big-government advocates.

Actually that part of the Const says that Congress can collect taxes for certain purposes, and no others. One of the purposes is "to provide for the General Welfare of the U.S.". But that means, Congress can spend tax money on things that benefit all American equally... and NOT on things that benefit some but not others.

When the Constitution was written, there were two kinds of "Welfare": "General" welfare, and "Particular" welfare. "General" welfare meant things that benefit everyone equally, while "Particular" welfare meant things that benefit only certain persons or groups but not everyone.

So the "Welfare clause" is actually a restriction. Congress can spend tax money on things that benefit all Americans equally, but not on things that only benefit some (what we would call Special Interests today).

If it were to give the Fed govt the broad powers Hoyer claims it does, 3/4 of the Constitution would become irrelevant. There would be no need for it to spell out the actual powers it does (Running the armed forces, setting up courts, coining money etc. - all of which benefit people).

The Welfare Clause meant nothing of the kind, of course. The entire Constitution was written to create the Fed govt, take some powers from the states and give them to the Fed... and to forbid the Fed from any others, which the states still hold.

This purpose is violated by Big-Govt advocates (in both parties) all the time, of course. Hoyer's bizarre announcement is merely more of the same... and is just as wrong today as it has been for centuries, no matter how often the Constitution is violated.

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http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55851

Hoyer Says Constitution’s ‘General Welfare’ Clause Empowers Congress to Order Americans to Buy Health Insurance

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By Matt Cover

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that the individual health insurance mandates included in every health reform bill, which require Americans to have insurance, were “like paying taxes.” He added that Congress has “broad authority” to force Americans to purchase other things as well, so long as it was trying to promote “the general welfare.”

The Congressional Budget Office, however, has stated in the past that a mandate forcing Americans to buy health insurance would be an “unprecedented form of federal action,” and that the “government has never required people to buy any good or service as a condition of lawful residence in the United States.”

Hoyer, speaking to reporters at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday, was asked by CNSNews.com where in the Constitution was Congress granted the power to mandate that a person must by a health insurance policy. Hoyer said that, in providing for the general welfare, Congress had “broad authority.”

“Well, in promoting the general welfare the Constitution obviously gives broad authority to Congress to effect that end,” Hoyer said.
 
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It amazes me that these people in public office, that swear, to uphold the Constitution, dont' really understand one of the most important concepts.

LIMITED GOVERNMENT
 
If you feel that the constitution is being interpreted incorrectly, enabling the enactment of laws relative to welfare, you can petition the supreme court to hear your case. The supreme court is the only entity that can state whether something is "constitutional" (interpretation), or not. Getting a like-minded cheering section to agree with you on a political forum is more likely to be an exercise in futility than it is likely to effect any change.
 
The US Gov't has no constitutional right to levy taxes on the
citizens for bailouts, healthcare subsidies, etc.
I don't think they should ever!

But if they are gonna levy, please consider Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Apple, Google, GE,
NFL, NBA, MLB as they could provide you real revenue to help poor people rtaher than bailouts!
Now go do it!
 
The Constitution's interpretation is up to those who live under it.

When it came out of Philadelphia, did it go into effect immediately? No. It had to be ratified.

We the people are not chained to the interpretation of dead men.

Tell you what if you don't like those in the bottom half getting tax credits, then let the rich know to have income spread more equitably. People are barely making it now. Squeeze them a little more, and the poor little rich people will have even less opportunities to make money because we'll need a force to crack the heads of those who have an aversion to starving to death.

How do you have a country if you destroy the base?

We are like Rome. When we fall, people will pretend that the US was unique. We are not.
 
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