Enumerated Powers

US Constitution, Article 1, Section 8

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;

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 an 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 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;

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, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

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 to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

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;

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

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.

Comments

The US federal government was established with very limited powers.  It was limited to national defense, providing sound money, maintaining the House, Senate, Court and Executive, running the post office and patent office, setting Tariffs and establishing facilities for these functions. Tariffs were used to fund the entire federal government. The right to borrow money was given to pay war debts and expand to the West. The 10^th Amendment gave all other functions to the “States and the People”.

Congress was responsible for establishing laws, the Executive was responsible for approving and enforcing laws and the Court was responsible for interpreting laws and adjudicating lawsuits. Congress was responsible for updating laws to clarify their intent and proposing Amendments for State ratification.  Their failure has resulted in the unconstitutional expansion of the federal government and its usurpation of rights originally reserved for the “States and the People”. Our federal government is broke because of these unconstitutional actions.

They violated the law of supply and demand with unconstitutional subsidies that corrupted the price of healthcare, education and energy. They have ruined the US economy and families with unnecessary, destructive regulations and taxes in order to pursue socialism. These policies are incompatible with our goal of maintaining a robust private economy. 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader