[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8400-8401]
[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. JEFFRIES:
       H.R. 2617.
       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 . . .
       Article I
       Section 8.
       Clause 18. To make all Laws which shall be necessary and 
     proper . . .
            By Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania:
       H.R. 2618.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution
            By Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York:
       H.R. 2619.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. BISHOP of Utah:
       H.R. 2620.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Second Amendment of the United States Constitution
            By Mr. THORNBERRY:
       H.R. 2621.
       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 ``to provide for the common Defence'', 
     ``to raise and support Armies'', ``to provide and maintain a 
     Navy'' and ``to make Rules for the Government and Regulation 
     of the land and naval Forces'' as enumerated in Article I, 
     section 8 of the United States Constitution.
            By Mr. LYNCH:
       H.R. 2622.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1 section 8 Clause 18 of the United States 
     Constitution.
            By Mr. MEADOWS:
       H.R. 2623.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section I grants that ``All legislative Powers 
     herin granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United 
     States . . .'' Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 grants that 
     ``The Congress shall have Power to . . . Regulate Commerce . 
     . . Among the several States . . .'' Article 1, Section 8, 
     Clause 18 grants that ``The 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 [the] Constitution in the Government of the 
     United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.''
            By Mr. WILSON of South Carolina:
       H.R. 2624.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. McGOVERN:
       H.R. 2625.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I Section 8: to provide for the Common Defense.
            By Mr. HURD:
       H.R. 2626.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, 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;
       and
       Article 1, section 8, clause 18;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. HURD:
       H.R. 2627.
       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 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. GENE GREEN of Texas:
       H.R. 2628.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Clause 3 of Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution.
            By Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida:
       H.R. 2629.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3
            By Mr. GOSAR:
       H.R. 2630.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 (the Property Clause)--
     Under this clause, Congress has the power to dispose of and 
     make all needful rules and regulations respecting the 
     territory or other property belonging to the United States. 
     By virtue of this enumerated power, Congress has governing 
     authority over the lands, territories, or other property of 
     the United States--and with this authority Congress is vested 
     with the power to all owners in fee, the ability to sell, 
     lease, dispose, exchange, convey, or simply preserve land.
       The Supreme Court has described this enumerated grant as 
     one ``without limitation'' Kleppe v New Mexico, 426 U.S. 529, 
     542-543 (1976) (``And while the furthest reaches of the power 
     granted by the Property Clause have not been definitely 
     resolved, we have repeatedly observed that the power over the 
     public land thus entrusted to Congress is without 
     limitation.'')
       Historically, the federal government transferred ownership 
     of federal property to either private ownership or the states 
     in order to pay off large Revolutionary War debts and to 
     assist with the development of infrastructure. The transfers 
     codified by this legislation are thus constitutional.
            By Mr. CICILLINE:
       H.R. 2631.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, sec. 8.
            By Mr. CLAY:
       H.R. 2632.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois:
       H.R. 2633.

[[Page 8401]]

       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I of the Constitution and its subsequent amendments 
     and further clarified and interpreted by the Supreme Court of 
     the United States
            By Mr. DesJARLAIS:
       H.R. 2634.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution
            By Ms. HANABUSA:
       H.R. 2635.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8
            By Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio:
       H.R. 2636.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following.
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States 
     Constitution
            By Mr. KEATING:
       H.R. 2637.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution.
            By Mr. KING of New York:
       H.R. 2638.
       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 Mr. KING of New York:
       H.R. 2639.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, 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 Mr. LEWIS of Georgia:
       H.R. 2640.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       This bill is enacted pursuant to the power granted to 
     Congress under Article I of the United States Constitution 
     and its subsequent amendments, and further clarified and 
     interpreted by the Supreme Court of the United States.
            By Mr. LONG:
       H.R. 2641.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, which 
     states ``To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper 
     in the Government of the United States or in any Department 
     or Officer thereof.''
            By Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York:
       H.R. 2642.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4: To establish a uniform rule 
     of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of 
     bankruptcies throughout the United States.
            By Mr. MARINO:
       H.R. 2643.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18(Necessary and Proper 
     Clause) the Congress shall have the 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. MARINO:
       H.R. 2644.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18(Necessary and Proper 
     Clause) the Congress shall have the 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 Mrs. MURPHY of Florida:
       H.R. 2645.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, 
     which gives Congress the power to provide for the common 
     defense and to make all laws necessary and proper to carry 
     out this power.
            By Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN:
       H.R. 2646.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution
            By Mr. SENSENBRENNER:
       H.R. 2647.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1
            By Mr. STIVERS:
       H.R. 2648.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the United States 
     Constitution
           By Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN:
       H.R. 2649.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article 1, Section 8 Clauses 3 and 18

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