[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15872]
[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 Ms. TITUS:
       H.R. 3696.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1: The Congress shall have 
     Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, 
     to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and 
     general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts 
     and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
            By Ms. VELAZQUEZ:
       H.R. 3697.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 1
       ``The Congress shall have Power to . . . provide for the . 
     . . general Welfare of the United States; . . .''
            By Mr. COFFMAN:
       H.R. 3698.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1 Section 8 Clause 14 states that ``Congress shall 
     have the power to make rules for the government and 
     regulation of the land and naval forces.'' This Act amends 
     the enlistment rules to include selected individuals who are 
     not natural citizens or legal permanent residents.
       Article 1 Section 8 Clause 4 states that ``Congress shall 
     have the power to establish an uniform rule of 
     naturalization.'' Congressional power over naturalization is 
     an exclusive power and this power is the only one free from 
     constitutional limitations on its exercise. Citizenship by 
     naturalization is a privilege to be given, qualified or 
     withheld as Congress may determine and an individual may 
     claim it as a right only upon compliance with the terms 
     Congress imposes.
            By Mr. WESTMORELAND:
       H.R. 3699.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, of the United States Constitution.
            By Mr. LUETKEMEYER:
       H.R. 3700.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The constitutional authority on which this bill rests is 
     the explicit power of Congress to regulate commerce in and 
     among the states, as enumerate in Article 1, Section 8, 
     Clause 3, the Commerce Clause, of the United States 
     Constitution.
       Additionally, Article 1, Section 7, Clause 2 of the 
     Constitution allows for every bill passed by the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate and signed by the President to 
     be codified into law; and therefore implicitly allows 
     Congress to repeal any bill that has been passed by both 
     chambers and signed into law by the President.
            By Mrs. BLACK:
       H.R. 3701.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution as 
     well as Article 1, Section 8 of the United States 
     Constitution which grants Congress the authority to lay and 
     collect taxes and duties. It is the inherent duty of elected 
     members of Congress to protect U.S. taxpayer information from 
     misuse.
            By Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas:
       H.R. 3702.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17, giving Congress exclusive 
     jurisdiction over the District of Columbia. That clause was 
     cited as the authority for the government's ability to accept 
     the original Smithson donation and the creation of the 
     Smithsonian Institution via the Act of August 10, 1846.
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18, the Necessary and Proper 
     clause, which provides the power to enact legislation 
     necessary to effectuate one of the earlier enumerated powers, 
     such as the authority granted in Clause 17 above.
            By Mr. KIND:
       H.R. 3703.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House 
     of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with 
     Amendments as on other Bills.
       ARTICLE I, SECTION 7, CLAUSE 1
            By Mr. MEADOWS:
       H.R. 3704.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 1:
       Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, 
     Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the 
     common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but 
     all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout 
     the United States.
            By Mr. PITTENGER:
       H.R. 3705.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I Section 1: All legislative Powers herein granted 
     shall be vested in a Congress of the United States
            By Mr. REICHERT:
       H.R. 3706.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       ``The constitutional authority of Congress to enact this 
     legislation is provided by Article I, section 8 of the United 
     States Constitution, specifically clause 1 (relating to 
     providing for the general welfare of the United States) and 
     clause 18 (relating to the power to make all laws necessary 
     and proper for carrying out the powers vested in Congress), 
     and Article IV, section 3, clause 2 (relating to the power of 
     Congress to dispose of and make all needful rules and 
     regulations respecting the territory or other property 
     belonging to the United States).''
            By Ms. TSONGAS:
       H.R. 3707.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

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