How a Balanced Budget Amendment Gives the Feds Power Over Whatever They Want – Part 1

Coach is Right ^ | 1/24/16 | Publius Huldah

[Oldpuppymax]

Does our existing Constitution permit the federal government to spend money on whatever they want? No! It contains precise limits on federal spending.

Federal spending is limited by the enumerated powers delegated to the federal government. If you go through the Constitution and highlight all the powers delegated to Congress and the President, you will get a complete list of the objects on which Congress is permitted to spend money.

Here’s the list: • The Census (Art. I, §2, cl. 3) • Publishing the Journals of the House and Senate (Art. I, §5, cl. 3) • Salaries of Senators and Representatives (Art. I, § 6, cl. 1) • Salaries of civil officers of the United States (Art. I, §6, cl. 2 & Art. II, §1, cl. 7) • Pay the Debts (Art. I, §8, cl. 1 & Art. VI, cl.1) • Pay tax collectors (Art. I, §8, cl.1) • Regulate commerce with foreign Nations, among the several States, and with Indian Tribes (Art. I, §8, cl.3) • Immigration office (Art. I, §8, cl.4) • The mint (Art. I, §8, cl. 5) • Attorney General to handle the small amount of authorized federal litigation involving the national government (e.g., Art. I, §8, cls. 6 & 10) • Post offices & post roads (Art. I, §8, cl. 7) • Patent & copyright office (Art. I, §8, cl. 8) • Federal courts (Art. I, §8, cl. 9 & Art. III, §1) • Military and Militia (Art. I, §8, cls. 11-16) • Since Congress has general legislative authority over the federal enclaves listed in Art. I, §8, next to last clause, Congress has broad spending authority over the tiny geographical areas listed in this clause. • The President’s entertainment expenses for foreign dignitaries (Art. II, §3); and • Since Congress had general legislative authority...

[PGR88]

The ONLY was to limit government spending is have a free-market currency. What we have now with the Federal Reserve, and its unbacked, fiat debt notes give progressive politicians unlimited spending and debt-creating power to fund all of their social-engineering schemes.

[Roses0508]

Bump for list.

[PGalt]

OUTSTANDING post. Thanks. CONgre$$ (current and former members) should be in prison. They have enslaved us, our children, our grandchildren, our grandchildren’s grandchildren, etc., etc. to debt.

The Results of Legal Plunder

It is impossible to introduce into society a greater change and a greater evil than this: the conversion of the law into an instrument of plunder.

/Bastiat “The Law”

Make no mistake about it. This current government is the most evil in the history of this great republic.

FUBO
FUCONgre$$

http://www.usdebtclock.org

[jaydee770]

So why not include a phrase similar to, “This balanced budget amendment does not authorize spending federal revenues by any federal entity on anything not specifically and directly authorized elsewhere in the Constitution”?

My wording can certainly be improved upon - the point being, folks smarter than I could certainly refine the wording to constrain federal spending *and* require a balanced budget. And aren’t we close to triggering a convention of states?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

The major reason why the country is going liberal/socialist as a whole is because of deficit spending at the Federal level.

States and localities are not allowed to run deficits for long. They either have to pay off their debts or declare bankruptcy.

The way that states and localities stave off bankruptcy is by getting grants from the Feds. The Feds can give grants to states and localities till the cows come home because they never have to worry about paying their debts.

But along with the grants come mandates which move those states and localities ever leftward.

So as others have suggested make sure that whatever BBA we put forth specifically reasserts the limited powers of the Federal government, and then we will have something, if obeyed, that might lead us eventually out of this liberal rat hole.