[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 354]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

  Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the following statements are submitted regarding the 
specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the 
accompanying bill or joint resolution.

            By Mr. TIERNEY:
        H.R. 3824.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. SMITH of Washington:
        H.R. 3825.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I Section 8 Clause 3--``To regulate Commerce with 
     foreign Nations, and among the several States, and within the 
     Indian Tribes.''
            By Mr. WHITFIELD:
        H.R. 3826.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3
       The Congress shall have power to regulate Commerce with 
     foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the 
     Indian Tribes.
            By Mr. GRAYSON:
       H.R. 3827.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.
            By Mr. CARTWRIGHT:
       H.R. 3828.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I; Section 8; Clauses 3 and 18 of the U.S. 
     Constitution
            By Mr. WEBER of Texas:
       H.R. 3829.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States 
     Constitution, which states that ``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;'' 
     and Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, 
     which states that Congress shall have power ``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.''
            By Mr. CAMP:
        H.R. 3830.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Section 8 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
            By Mr. ROE of Tennessee:
        H.R. 3831.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The constitutional authority on which this bill rests is 
     the power of Congress as stated in Article 1, Section 8, 
     Clause 18 of the United States Constitution.
            By Mr. McDERMOTT:
        H.R. 3832.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. McDERMOTT:
        H.R. 3833.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. CRAMER:
        H.R. 3834.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, section 8, clause 1; and Article 1, section 8, 
     clause 3.
            By Mr. DUFFY:
        H.R. 3835.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8: To make all Laws which shall be 
     necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the 
     foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by the 
     Constitution in the Government of the United States or in any 
     Department or Officer thereof.
            By Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee:
        H.R. 3836.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 5.
            By Mr. LUETKEMEYER:
        H.R. 3837.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Pursuant to clause 7 of Rule XII of the Rules of the House 
     of Representatives, I submit the following statement 
     regarding the specific powers granted to Congress in the 
     Constitution of the United States to enact the accompanying 
     bill cited as the ``Vested Employee Pension Benefit 
     Protection Act.''
       The Constitutional authority on which this bill rests is 
     the power of Congress 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, as 
     enumerated in Article I, Section 8, Clause 1. Additionally, 
     Congress has the Constitutional authority to regulate 
     commerce among the States and with Indian Tribes, as 
     enumerated in Article I, Section 8, Clause 3.
            By Mr. PAULSEN:
        H.R. 3838.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8.
            By Mr. RANGEL:
        H.R. 3839.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Section 8 of the Constitution--to regulate Commerce.
            By Mr. THORNBERRY:
        H.R. 3840.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, ``The Congress 
     shall have Power . . . To declare War . . .'' and ``To make 
     Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval 
     Forces.''
       This bill would establish an independent organization 
     within the Department of Defense to develop and coordinate 
     net assessments of the military capabilities of the United 
     States compared to potential adversaries in order to identify 
     emerging threats or opportunities. Congressional authority to 
     establish such an office falls within two clauses of Article 
     I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which give Congress the 
     specific power ``To make Rules for the Government and 
     Regulation of the land and naval Forces,'' and, more 
     generally, ``To declare War.'' The organization that would be 
     established by this bill is a function of the ``Government 
     and Regulation of the land and naval Forces'' and 
     Congressional power to declare war.
            By Mr. MILLER of Florida:
        H.J. Res. 105.
        Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I. Section 8.

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