[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7415-7416]
[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. SAM JOHNSON of Texas:
       H.R. 5320.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Clause 1 of section 8 of article I of the Constitution to 
     ``provide for the common defense and general welfare of the 
     United States.''
            By Mr. POE of Texas:
       H.R. 5321.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18
            By Ms. VELAZQUEZ:
       H.R. 5322.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, 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. MARINO:
       H.R. 5323.
       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

[[Page 7416]]

     the several States and with the Indian Tribes.''
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 18: ``To make all Laws which 
     shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the 
     foregoing Powers. . .''
            By Mr. BRAT:
       H.R. 5324.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution grants Congress 
     ``power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever 
     source derived, without apportionment among the several 
     States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.'' 
     Left undefined in the amendment, the ``incomes'' appropriate 
     for taxation must be determined through legislation passed by 
     Congress. Congress therefore has the power to exclude from 
     income taxation such sources as it deems appropriate.
            By Mr. GRAVES of Georgia:
       H.R. 5325.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The principal constitutional authority for this legislation 
     is clause 7 of section 9 of article I of the Constitution of 
     the United States (the appropriation power), which states: 
     ``No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in 
     Consequence of Appropriations made by Law . . .'' In 
     addition, clause 1 of section 8 of article I of the 
     Constitution (the spending power) provides: ``The Congress 
     shall have the Power . . . to pay the Debts and provide for 
     the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States . 
     . .'' Together, these specific constitutional provisions 
     establish the congressional power of the purse, granting 
     Congress the authority to appropriate finds, to determine 
     their purpose, amount, and period of availability, and to set 
     forth terms and conditions governing their use.
            By Ms. KUSTER:
       H.R. 5326.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8--To regulate Commerce with foreign 
     Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian 
     Tribes
            By Ms. KUSTER:
       H.R. 5327.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, 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 this Constitution in the Government of the 
     United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
            By Mr. BOUSTANY:
       H.R. 5328.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 18
       To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for 
     carrying into the 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. KELLY of Pennsylvania:
       H.R. 5329.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United States 
     Constitution.
            By Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico:
       H.R. 5330.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section VIII
            By Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico:
       H.R. 5331.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section VIII
            By Mrs. NOEM:
       H.R. 5332.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Aricle I, Section 8
            By Mr. POMPEO:
       H.R. 5333.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Clauses 3 Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution
            By Ms. STEFANIK:
       H.R. 5334.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution.
            By Mr. YOUNG of Iowa:
       H.R. 5335.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
     States.

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