{"id":206,"date":"2009-12-25T20:26:05","date_gmt":"2009-12-25T20:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cc2009.givemeliberty.org\/?p=206"},"modified":"2017-03-19T23:59:42","modified_gmt":"2017-03-19T23:59:42","slug":"foreign-policy-and-the-general-welfare-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cc2009.givemeliberty.org\/?p=206","title":{"rendered":"Article 15: Ancillary Report by the Foriegn Policy and General Welfare Committee Regarding the Welfare State"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANCILLARY REPORT BY THE FOREIGN POLICY AND GENERAL WELFARE COMMITTEE REGARDING THE WELFARE STATE<\/strong><\/p>\n

WHEREAS<\/strong>, the mention of \u201cGeneral Welfare\u201d in the Preamble to the Constitution for the United States as a principal goal of the Constitution, conveys no specific powers to government, and the General Welfare Clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution for the United States is only intended to be restricted to the enumerated powers which follow it; and,<\/p>\n

WHEREAS<\/strong>, James Madison states in Federalist 41 that \u201cNothing is more natural or common, than to use a general phrase, and then to explain or qualify it by a recital of particulars,\u201d and that it would be an \u201cabsurdity\u201d if the list of particulars was interpreted as anything but restrictive on the general statement; and,<\/p>\n

WHEREAS<\/strong>, the early nineteenth century serves as an example of rapid economic growth despite very limited government investment in the \u201cgeneral welfare\u201d, and\u00a0 during that period the institution of the family provided adequately for most Americans without any federal welfare, and voluntary religious and charitable associations flourished without government involvement; and,<\/p>\n

WHEREAS<\/strong>, the family and the State are competing forms of government, with the result that when one is strengthened the other is weakened, and the family is the most effective provider of social services, so that the \u201cgeneral welfare\u201d is best served by strengthening families than by strengthening government; and,<\/p>\n

WHEREAS<\/strong>, the responsibility of government is to secure to its citizens the fruit of their labor, which is their property, and the opportunity to utilize that property as capital to create wealth;
<\/span>
<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>\n

NOW THEREFORE<\/strong>, the Delegates of the several States in Continental Congress assembled: <\/p>\n

1. Protest the misinterpretation of the General Welfare Clause by Congress that results in the tyranny of unjust taxes upon the People;<\/p>\n

2. Find the \u201cgeneral welfare\u201d is neither \u201cpromoted\u201d nor \u201cprovided for\u201d when Congress exceeds the enumerated powers of the Constitution, and that the General Welfare Clause does not provide constitutional justification for:<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n