US House Launches Attack on Constitution, American People

By Bob Ellis on November 8th, 2009

Minuteman statue in Concord, Massachusetts

Minuteman statue in Concord, Massachusetts (Source: Creative Commons)

By now you’ve probably heard that the U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday in the majority to ignore the U.S. Constitution, common sense, history and the good of the American people to push socialized health care on the American people.

Yesterday the U.S. House voted 220-215 in favor of  HR 3962.  Next the U.S. Senate will consider the issue and if they pass it, the two bills must be reconciled, so there is still time to save our freedom and our prosperity.

This is nothing but a thinly-disguises move to quash free-market health care in America and move the lives of free Americans fully under the sway of government–all the while robbing Americans of $1.2 trillion (and more) of their property to do it.

Never forget that the enumerated powers of Article 1 Section 8 do not include government meddling in health care, and certainly do not authorize a government health care system.  Further, the Tenth Amendment reserves any powers not granted to the federal government to the states and the people–who are the real authorities in our land:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Also never forget that socialists like Speaker Nancy Pelosi are not allowed to pervert the General Welfare clause into an excuse to ignore the remainder of the Constitution (whatever their real or pretended motivation), along with it’s limits on government and protections of the people’s freedom:

The Constitution says, “Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, &c., provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States”. I suppose the meaning of this clause to be, that Congress may collect taxes for the purpose of providing for the general welfare, in those cases wherein the Constitution empowers them to act for the general welfare. To suppose that it was meant to give them a distinct substantive power, to do any act which might tend to the general welfare, is to render all the enumerations useless, and to make their powers unlimited. – Thomas Jefferson

Our tenet ever was…that Congress had not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but were restrained to those specifically enumerated, and that, as it was never meant that they should provide for that welfare but by the exercise of the enumerated powers, so it could not have been meant they should raise money for purposes which the enumeration did not place under their action; consequently, that the specification of powers is a limitation of the purposes for which they may raise money. – Thomas Jefferson

They are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare, but only to lay taxes for that purpose. To consider the latter phrase not as describing the purpose of the first, but as giving a distinct and independent power to do any act they please which may be good for the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless. It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and as they sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please…Certainly no such universal power was meant to be given them. It was intended to lace them up straightly within the enumerated powers and those without which, as means, these powers could not be carried into effect. – Thomas Jefferson

Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated. – Thomas Jefferson

[Congressional jurisdiction of power] is limited to certain enumerated objects, which concern all the members of the republic, but which are not to be attained by the separate provisions of any.” – James Madison

If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions. – James Madison

The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined . . . to be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce.” – James Madison

With respect to the two words ‘ general welfare,’ I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators. – James Madison

We must confine ourselves to the powers described in the Constitution, and the moment we pass it, we take an arbitrary stride towards a despotic Government. – James Jackson, First Congress

I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents. – James Madison

Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government. – James Madison

If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads; in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress. … Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America. – James Madison

Those who voted for this reprehensible and unconstitutional act should be remembered for the next year by voters in their districts.  Patriotic Americans who live in these areas should begin right now to do several things: (1) consider running against these untrustworthy enemies of our freedom; (2) search for and recruit other patriotic Americans who will run against them; (3) get behind a candidate who understands the Constitution and who will keep their oath to respect it; (4) make campaign contributions as you are financially able to candidates who will keep their oath to the Constitution; (5) do everything you can to get out the vote in the primary (because some people in both party hold contempt for the Constitution) and in the general election next year.

We know who the enemy of our freedom and Constitution is.  There is no doubt.  The battle lines of our freedom are clear.  It is no secret who we must remove from office, whether this monstrosity dies in the Senate or whether we must repeal and remove this blight from our land next year.

According to GovTrack, these are the dirtbags who chose to break their oath of office and vote for this assault on the Constitution and the American people.

Aye HI-1 Abercrombie, Neil [D]
Aye NY-5 Ackerman, Gary [D]
Aye NJ-1 Andrews, Robert [D]
Aye NY-24 Arcuri, Michael [D]
Aye CA-43 Baca, Joe [D]
Aye WI-2 Baldwin, Tammy [D]
Aye IL-8 Bean, Melissa [D]
Aye CA-31 Becerra, Xavier [D]
Aye NV-1 Berkley, Shelley [D]
Aye CA-28 Berman, Howard [D]
Aye AR-1 Berry, Robert [D]
Aye GA-2 Bishop, Sanford [D]
Aye NY-1 Bishop, Timothy [D]
Aye OR-3 Blumenauer, Earl [D]
Aye IA-3 Boswell, Leonard [D]
Aye PA-1 Brady, Robert [D]
Aye IA-1 Braley, Bruce [D]
Aye FL-3 Brown, Corrine [D]
Aye NC-1 Butterfield, George [D]
Aye LA-2 Cao, Anh [R]
Aye CA-23 Capps, Lois [D]
Aye MA-8 Capuano, Michael [D]
Aye CA-18 Cardoza, Dennis [D]
Aye MO-3 Carnahan, Russ [D]
Aye PA-10 Carney, Christopher [D]
Aye IN-7 Carson, André [D]
Aye FL-11 Castor, Kathy [D]
Aye CA-32 Chu, Judy [D]
Aye NY-11 Clarke, Yvette [D]
Aye MO-1 Clay, William [D]
Aye MO-5 Cleaver, Emanuel [D]
Aye SC-6 Clyburn, James [D]
Aye TN-9 Cohen, Steve [D]
Aye VA-11 Connolly, Gerald [D]
Aye MI-14 Conyers, John [D]
Aye TN-5 Cooper, Jim [D]
Aye CA-20 Costa, Jim [D]
Aye IL-12 Costello, Jerry [D]
Aye CT-2 Courtney, Joe [D]
Aye NY-7 Crowley, Joseph [D]
Aye TX-28 Cuellar, Henry [D]
Aye MD-7 Cummings, Elijah [D]
Aye PA-3 Dahlkemper, Kathleen [D]
Aye IL-7 Davis, Danny [D]
Aye CA-53 Davis, Susan [D]
Aye OR-4 DeFazio, Peter [D]
Aye CO-1 DeGette, Diana [D]
Aye MA-10 Delahunt, William [D]
Aye CT-3 DeLauro, Rosa [D]
Aye WA-6 Dicks, Norman [D]
Aye MI-15 Dingell, John [D]
Aye TX-25 Doggett, Lloyd [D]
Aye IN-2 Donnelly, Joe [D]
Aye PA-14 Doyle, Michael [D]
Aye OH-1 Driehaus, Steve [D]
Aye MD-4 Edwards, Donna [D]
Aye MN-5 Ellison, Keith [D]
Aye IN-8 Ellsworth, Brad [D]
Aye NY-17 Engel, Eliot [D]
Aye CA-14 Eshoo, Anna [D]
Aye NC-2 Etheridge, Bob [D]
Aye CA-17 Farr, Sam [D]
Aye PA-2 Fattah, Chaka [D]
Aye CA-51 Filner, Bob [D]
Aye IL-14 Foster, Bill [D]
Aye MA-4 Frank, Barney [D]
Aye OH-11 Fudge, Marcia [D]
Aye CA-10 Garamendi, John [D]
Aye AZ-8 Giffords, Gabrielle [D]
Aye TX-20 Gonzalez, Charles [D]
Aye FL-8 Grayson, Alan [D]
Aye TX-9 Green, Al [D]
Aye TX-29 Green, Raymond [D]
Aye AZ-7 Grijalva, Raul [D]
Aye IL-4 Gutierrez, Luis [D]
Aye NY-19 Hall, John [D]
Aye IL-11 Halvorson, Deborah [D]
Aye IL-17 Hare, Phil [D]
Aye CA-36 Harman, Jane [D]
Aye FL-23 Hastings, Alcee [D]
Aye NM-1 Heinrich, Martin [D]
Aye NY-27 Higgins, Brian [D]
Aye IN-9 Hill, Baron [D]
Aye CT-4 Himes, James [D]
Aye NY-22 Hinchey, Maurice [D]
Aye TX-15 Hinojosa, Rubén [D]
Aye HI-2 Hirono, Mazie [D]
Aye NH-2 Hodes, Paul [D]
Aye NJ-12 Holt, Rush [D]
Aye CA-15 Honda, Michael [D]
Aye MD-5 Hoyer, Steny [D]
Aye WA-1 Inslee, Jay [D]
Aye NY-2 Israel, Steve [D]
Aye IL-2 Jackson, Jesse [D]
Aye TX-18 Jackson-Lee, Sheila [D]
Aye TX-30 Johnson, Eddie [D]
Aye GA-4 Johnson, Henry [D]
Aye WI-8 Kagen, Steve [D]
Aye PA-11 Kanjorski, Paul [D]
Aye OH-9 Kaptur, Marcy [D]
Aye RI-1 Kennedy, Patrick [D]
Aye MI-5 Kildee, Dale [D]
Aye MI-13 Kilpatrick, Carolyn [D]
Aye OH-15 Kilroy, Mary Jo [D]
Aye WI-3 Kind, Ronald [D]
Aye AZ-1 Kirkpatrick, Ann [D]
Aye FL-22 Klein, Ron [D]
Aye RI-2 Langevin, James [D]
Aye WA-2 Larsen, Rick [D]
Aye CT-1 Larson, John [D]
Aye CA-9 Lee, Barbara [D]
Aye MI-12 Levin, Sander [D]
Aye GA-5 Lewis, John [D]
Aye IL-3 Lipinski, Daniel [D]
Aye IA-2 Loebsack, David [D]
Aye CA-16 Lofgren, Zoe [D]
Aye NY-18 Lowey, Nita [D]
Aye NM-3 Lujan, Ben [D]
Aye MA-9 Lynch, Stephen [D]
Aye NY-25 Maffei, Daniel [D]
Aye NY-14 Maloney, Carolyn [D]
Aye MA-7 Markey, Edward [D]
Aye CA-5 Matsui, Doris [D]
Aye NY-4 McCarthy, Carolyn [D]
Aye MN-4 McCollum, Betty [D]
Aye WA-7 McDermott, James [D]
Aye MA-3 McGovern, James [D]
Aye CA-11 McNerney, Jerry [D]
Aye FL-17 Meek, Kendrick [D]
Aye NY-6 Meeks, Gregory [D]
Aye ME-2 Michaud, Michael [D]
Aye CA-7 Miller, George [D]
Aye NC-13 Miller, R. [D]
Aye AZ-5 Mitchell, Harry [D]
Aye WV-1 Mollohan, Alan [D]
Aye KS-3 Moore, Dennis [D]
Aye WI-4 Moore, Gwen [D]
Aye VA-8 Moran, James [D]
Aye CT-5 Murphy, Christopher [D]
Aye PA-8 Murphy, Patrick [D]
Aye PA-12 Murtha, John [D]
Aye NY-8 Nadler, Jerrold [D]
Aye CA-38 Napolitano, Grace [D]
Aye MA-2 Neal, Richard [D]
Aye MN-8 Oberstar, James [D]
Aye WI-7 Obey, David [D]
Aye MA-1 Olver, John [D]
Aye TX-27 Ortiz, Solomon [D]
Aye NY-23 Owens, William [D]
Aye NJ-6 Pallone, Frank [D]
Aye NJ-8 Pascrell, William [D]
Aye AZ-4 Pastor, Edward [D]
Aye NJ-10 Payne, Donald [D]
Aye CA-8 Pelosi, Nancy [D]
Aye CO-7 Perlmutter, Ed [D]
Aye VA-5 Perriello, Thomas [D]
Aye MI-9 Peters, Gary [D]
Aye ME-1 Pingree, Chellie [D]
Aye CO-2 Polis, Jared [D]
Aye ND-0 Pomeroy, Earl [D]
Aye NC-4 Price, David [D]
Aye IL-5 Quigley, Mike [D]
Aye WV-3 Rahall, Nick [D]
Aye NY-15 Rangel, Charles [D]
Aye TX-16 Reyes, Silvestre [D]
Aye CA-37 Richardson, Laura [D]
Aye TX-23 Rodriguez, Ciro [D]
Aye NJ-9 Rothman, Steven [D]
Aye CA-34 Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D]
Aye MD-2 Ruppersberger, C.A. [D]
Aye IL-1 Rush, Bobby [D]
Aye OH-17 Ryan, Timothy [D]
Aye CO-3 Salazar, John [D]
Aye CA-39 Sanchez, Linda [D]
Aye CA-47 Sanchez, Loretta [D]
Aye MD-3 Sarbanes, John [D]
Aye IL-9 Schakowsky, Janice [D]
Aye MI-7 Schauer, Mark [D]
Aye CA-29 Schiff, Adam [D]
Aye OR-5 Schrader, Kurt [D]
Aye PA-13 Schwartz, Allyson [D]
Aye GA-13 Scott, David [D]
Aye VA-3 Scott, Robert [D]
Aye NY-16 Serrano, José [D]
Aye PA-7 Sestak, Joe [D]
Aye NH-1 Shea-Porter, Carol [D]
Aye CA-27 Sherman, Brad [D]
Aye NJ-13 Sires, Albio [D]
Aye NY-28 Slaughter, Louise [D]
Aye WA-9 Smith, Adam [D]
Aye AR-2 Snyder, Victor [D]
Aye OH-18 Space, Zachary [D]
Aye CA-12 Speier, Jackie [D]
Aye SC-5 Spratt, John [D]
Aye CA-13 Stark, Fortney [D]
Aye MI-1 Stupak, Bart [D]
Aye OH-13 Sutton, Betty [D]
Aye MS-2 Thompson, Bennie [D]
Aye CA-1 Thompson, C. [D]
Aye MA-6 Tierney, John [D]
Aye NV-3 Titus, Dina [D]
Aye NY-21 Tonko, Paul [D]
Aye NY-10 Towns, Edolphus [D]
Aye MA-5 Tsongas, Niki [D]
Aye MD-8 Van Hollen, Christopher [D]
Aye NY-12 Velazquez, Nydia [D]
Aye IN-1 Visclosky, Peter [D]
Aye MN-1 Walz, Timothy [D]
Aye FL-20 Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D]
Aye CA-35 Waters, Maxine [D]
Aye CA-33 Watson, Diane [D]
Aye NC-12 Watt, Melvin [D]
Aye CA-30 Waxman, Henry [D]
Aye NY-9 Weiner, Anthony [D]
Aye VT-0 Welch, Peter [D]
Aye FL-19 Wexler, Robert [D]
Aye OH-6 Wilson, Charles [D]
Aye CA-6 Woolsey, Lynn [D]
Aye OR-1 Wu, David [D]
Aye KY-3 Yarmuth, John [D]

Note: Reader comments are reviewed before publishing, and only salient comments that add to the topic will be published. Profanity is absolutely not allowed and will be summarily deleted. Spam, copied statements and other material not comprised of the reader’s own opinion will also be deleted.

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Categories: Commentary
Tags: , , ,

  • WXRGina
    This is sickening. We're watching our country fall before our eyes. We're watching ourselves be enslaved. Oh, people will say I'm "being extreme," and "where are we being enslaved?", but they don't see where all this is leading. Just like arguing with those fellows about the logical end result of "hate crimes" legislation, you have to be able to look down the road at what effect the cause will produce.

    We have been taken over by tyrants. They will not be stopped. I would not be surprised if there are no 2010 elections. By then, they may have come up with a handy way to declare nationwide martial law and thus "have to" suspend elections. You think it can't happen here? Did you think any of the outrageously unconstitutional activity of the government since Congress did TARP under Pres. Bush could happen here? I realize our government was going down this road for most of the twentieth century, but these evil maniacs have hit the hyperspeed button in the last year alone.

    My heart is broken over our country which is dying at the hands of Satan's pawns in power.

    Gina Miller
  • harvey50
    This list of legislators yesterday each one cimmited treason.The people in the states and districts that these people represent have a duty to recall each one of them and kick them out of office,but that wont happen.People in a lot of places in this still great country have became leaces ,bums,wards of the Government,and the socialist that are now in office are more than happy to take care of them.They have now turned all our lives over to the Government by following blindly behind people that are set on destroying this great country.There is still time to stop this power grab by Obama and Pelosi and Reid but we are going to have to work harder than we ever thought we would have to.Please help by staying on your senators backs and telling them we do not want this so called health care bill or the cap and trade bill they are also trying to push on us.We have got to stop this attempt to destroy our country.They are already trying to take our right to worship our God with the so called hate crimes bill they passed with the defense bill.If this bunch of liberals are not stoped our children and grand children will be told where and how to live their lives and we cannot let that happen.We are responsible,Please call your Senators,call them every week.
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