The new House of Representatives is adopting parts of our ideas, passing new rules that require . . .
- A 3-day waiting period before a bill can be voted to final passage
- All bills to cite their Constitutional authority.
Constant pressure on Congress, by you, is what brought us to this point. So far so good. Next, we need to . . .
- Continue pushing for real change — NOT mere rules, but the enforceable laws that we have written — Read the Bills, Write the Laws, and One Subject at a Time
- Find new pressure points and start pushing on them too.
Tax funded federal subsidies to business are one such pressure point.
In other words, if both Democrats and Republicans were true to their rhetoric, they should be willing to repeal ALL subsidies. But here’s the problem . . .
No public pressure has ever focused on this weak point. Instead . . .
Congress only hears from businesses wanting MORE subsidies. It never hears from taxpayers wanting to END subsidies. We must work to change this in the coming year, starting TODAY.
We’ve created a NEW “End Subsidies” campaign for this purpose. In the weeks and months ahead we’ll focus on specific arguments aimed at specific subsidies, but today . . .
Please send a letter to Congress asking for all subsidies to be repealed on Constitutional grounds. You can copy or borrow from our sample letter below . . .
Subsidies are theft. Taxing everyone to profit a few is wrong, both morally and Constitutionally.
Please do NOT tell me that the so-called “general welfare clause” permits subsidies. This is false. The phrase “to promote the general welfare” clearly limits Congress to actions that benefit all citizens; otherwise it would be called the “special interest clause.”
Likewise, do NOT tell me that the “necessary and proper clause” permits subsidies. This is also wrong. The wording of that provision clearly limits Congress to only those powers the Constitution names. Special interest subsidies are not among them.
Finally, the Constitution requires that all citizens receive equal protection under the law, but subsidies violate this requirement by harming some citizens in order to benefit others.
No policy can enhance social welfare by negating the rule of law to harm the many for the sake of the few. Please honor your oath to defend the Constitution by introducing legislation to repeal all subsidies. I’m watching how you respond to this issue.
You can send your letter to Congress using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.
And please check out the new articles recently posted at the Downsize DC Foundation:
- Private Investment is Fueling Human Progress
- Innovation, Inflation, Potato Chips, and You
- Quote File: Can juries nullify laws?
Perry Willis, Vice President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
