H.R. 450 (excerpts from http://www.downsizedc.org)


To require Congress to specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws, and for other purposes..

Michael Mitchell of Alaska compiled this list from Article I of the U.S. Constitution. These are all the powers that the Congress has.


  1. Borrow money
  2. Regulate commerce among the states
  3. Regulate naturalization
  4. Regulate bankruptcies
  5. Coin money
  6. Fix weights and standards
  7. Punish counterfeiters
  8. Establish post offices
  9. Establish post roads
  10. Record patents
  11. Protect copyrights
  12. Create federal courts
  13. Punish pirates
  14. Declare war
  15. Raise an army
  16. Provide a navy
  17. Call up the militia
  18. Organize the militia
  19. Makes laws for Washington, DC
  20. Make rules for the Army and Navy
  21. Mitchell continues, “According to the 10th Amendment, all else is controlled by the states or the people.”


And Mitchell is basically right. However, there are two other Legislative Powers Congress possesses.


First, the Senate can impose virtually any regulation in the context of a Treaty, which makes treaty ratification a moment that requires considerable vigilance.


Second, with the dubious ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment, Congress can impose a direct tax upon the American people. This was a dangerous, unwarranted power granted in 1913 which we, at DownsizeDC.org, staunchly oppose. The results have been nothing short of disastrous. 1913 also saw the creation of the Federal Reserve, which should be abolished, as well as the ratification of the 17th Amendment, which provided for the direct election of Senators and greater democracy, with all its attendant mob rule qualities.


In other words, these three radical changes removed not only virtually all impediments on the federal government’s power and ability to spend with reckless abandon, but it also created an incentive for wanton, deficit spending.


The 16th and 17th Amendments should be repealed, and the Federal Reserve should be abolished in favor of a Constitutional, “Honest Money” system.

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