Let’s examine the Constitution’s Delegation of Powers to Congress:
Section 8 – Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have the power….
1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States:
This power has been eroded by fact that the IRS was established under the executive branch. Although its authority is supposedly granted in legislation I have yet to see the enabling legislation. It is further eroded by the Federal Reserve’s ability to manipulate the value of what we call money.
2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States:
This power is currently under attack by the McConnell plan to allow the President to raise the debt ceiling. Under this plan a super-majority vote would be required to over-rule the president.
3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states,and with the Indian tribes:
This power has been delegated to international organizations. Unelected bureaucrats at the World Trade Organization ultimately police these Congressional powers. No amendment was ever passed to alter the constitution, mind you. The congress just passed simple legislation under fast-track rules to jam it down America’s collective throat.
4. To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States:
Well the executive branch defiantly refuses to properly execute any of these laws which run against the Presidential agenda and the congress does nothing about it. On paper, the congress is still in control here. In reality, the executive dictates policy.
5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures:
The federal reserve act destroyed this power. Another transfer of power without amendment. Also, Gold and Silver are defined as money within this constitution but the federal reserve act redefined that without amendment.
6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States:
The federal reserve act has legalized counterfeiting but monopolized it in the hands of the federal reserve bank. So the number one offenders of this crime are un-punishable.
7. To establish post-offices and post-roads:
No comment.
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:
The Jeffersonian principle of copyright and patents allows for the actual inventor or creator to hold exclusive rights. The laws are in the process of being transformed to match the European model, whereby the protection is applied to the first party to file. Corporations have armies of lawyers that file vague applications and tie up inventors in court legal battles over patent and copyright protection in an attempt to acquire these rights through out of court settlement.
9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court:
No Comment.
10. To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations:
No Comment.
11. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water:
The congress has not declared war since WWII. Instead the have granted authority to the President to exercise war-making power. The Libyan attack took the next logical step, ignoring the congress completely.
12. To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years:
The armies no longer require raising, because we have a perpetual standing army. The monies raised are incorporated within omnibus legislation which makes it very difficult for the congress to deal with such matters independently.
13. To provide and maintain a navy:
No Comment.
14. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces:
No Comment.
15. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions:
The militia system is dead.
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:
The militia system is dead.
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: And,
No comment.
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.
Through the creation of supra-national organizations and executive offices the congress has abrogated its legitimate responsibility with regard to much of its power. The laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution these powers have taken the form of enabling legislation. Essentially transferring the power to determine the details to regulatory bodies and foreign unelected officers.
The Congress has retained very few of its initially enumerated powers. It is an almost irrelevant body. Now you know why you feel like you have no representation.
~Federal Expression
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