We oppose. The act includes spending not only for legitimate national defense, but also for military interventionism in foreign lands that does not make America safer. Also, the legislation undercuts the president’s legitimate authority as commander-in-chief by restricting his ability to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea.

We oppose. Congress is failing to address its profligate spending that yielded an annual federal deficit of $3.1 trillion in fiscal 2020. Moreover, Congress is minimizing its accountability to voters by combining all “discretionary” federal spending and coronavirus aid into one gigantic bill and only holding two votes on that bill in the House.

We oppose. Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that yielded an annual federal deficit of $3.1 trillion in fiscal 2020. Congress is minimizing its accountability to voters by combining all “discretionary” federal spending and coronavirus aid into one gigantic bill and only holding two votes on that bill in the House. Moreover, most of the coronavirus aid provisions, including direct checks, federal unemployment benefits, and subsidization of the economy, exceed the federal government’s authority.

We oppose. The bill advances a radical environmentalist agenda and increases federal government meddling in the energy market. Under the Constitution’s Interstate Commerce Clause, the federal government is empowered “to regulate Commerce … among the several States” only to prevent the restriction of the free flow of goods among the states. Moreover, H.R. 4447 infringes on U.S. sovereignty and will cause energy costs to skyrocket.

We oppose. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government authorized to regulate private employers, and federal requirements for covered benefits usually mean decreased pay. This is a matter reserved for the states and the people under the 10th Amendment.

We oppose. This bill irresponsibly increases the federal deficit and diverts energy royalties from being spent for needed constitutional purposes. Additionally, the Constitution does not authorize Congress to purchase private property except “for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings.” Moreover, the federal government already owns a huge percentage of land directly —about 28 percent of the nation — and is a demonstrably poor steward of public lands.

We oppose. The statues that fill the National Statuary Hall are sent by the states at their discretion, and Congress should not be assuming the authority to tell the states which statues they are and are not allowed to place in the hall. This is plainly an attempt to erase American history.

We oppose. The federal government should not be funding highways, addressing transportation-related “climate-change” issues, promoting motor-vehicle safety, or imposing a tax on driving in order to pay for highway construction and maintenance. Such projects should be left in the hands of state or municipal governments, where the Constitution intends such issues to be handled.

We oppose. The push for D.C. statehood is merely a politically motivated effort to gain two Democratic Party senators and thus more easily advance a left-wing agenda. Moreover, granting statehood to the District of Columbia violates Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. H.R. 51 purports to circumvent this constitutional prohibition by reducing D.C. to basically the Capitol and surrounding governmental buildings.

We oppose. Law enforcement is a local or state matter, and that is where decisions such as requiring police officers to wear body cameras should be made. By contrast, H.R. 7120 would move the country further in the direction of a federalized police force beholden to Washington.

It is unconstitutional for Congress to bail out the U.S. economy.

We oppose. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government authorized to disburse loans to small businesses or cover the salaries of laid-off employees. It is not the responsibility of the federal government to bail out businesses or the unemployed.

We oppose. While many of the proposed FISA modifications positive from a freedom and privacy standpoint, Congress should have instead voted to not reauthorize the FISA and let it expire. Despite the program’s title, the act permits surveillance of Americans who are not charged with any crime.

We support. According to the U.S. Constitution, only Congress may declare war. It is unfortunate that Congress has to pass a resolution enforcing this, but doing so puts a check on the war powers assumed by recent presidents.

We oppose. The time to ratify the ERA has long ended. Any further attempt to resurrect it to continue the ratification process is unconstitutional and inconsistent with the amendment ratification process as laid out in Article V of the Constitution.

HR 5430 USMCA (Passed 385 to 41 on 12/19/19). Contains the most dangerous provisions of NAFTA and the TPP. It will lead to a North American regional government similar to the European Union.

We oppose. In his actions on Ukraine, Trump did not commit “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors,” the constitutional requirement for impeaching and removing a president or other U.S. “civil officer.” The House presented no evidence of any “high crimes.” Trump was accused of withholding aid from Ukraine, but the aid was provided. Also, there is no crime in making a request to investigate Hunter Biden and Burisma, as was alleged.

We oppose. The “obstruction of Congress” charge does not rise to the level of the “high crimes and misdemeanors” for which a president may be impeached and removed. There is uncontestable truth to the charge: Trump did direct the executive branch to ignore subpoenas issued by highly partisan, pro-impeachment House committees. What is contested is whether a president may constitutionally ignore such subpoenas. But that is an issue for the federal judiciary, not impeachment, to decide.

We oppose. Most of the spending programs in this appropriations bill are unconstitutional. Also, congressional spending for fiscal 2020 is grossly fiscally irresponsible. In mid-2020, our national debt was about $26 trillion, and the federal budget deficit for 2020 was expected to be an astounding $3.8 trillion.

We oppose. Many programs within this defense-related minibus are unconstitutional. This bill also is fiscally irresponsible, considering the $26 trillion national debt and projected $3.8 trillion budget deficit.

We oppose. Congress is failing to address its fiscally- and constitutionally-irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is yielding annual federal deficits of about $1 trillion. This directly contributes to the national debt’s growth.

We oppose. Spending must be brought under control, and deficits must be eliminated to avoid fiscal disaster — not “down the road,” but now. Additionally, much of the bill’s spending is unconstitutional.

HR 2500 Amendment Indefinite Military Detention (Failed 187 to 236 on 7/12/19). Would prohibit indefinite military detention of any person (including Americans). Indefinite detention without trial violates habeas corpus.

We oppose. The federal government has no constitutional authority to rebuild areas stricken by natural disasters. Such activity should be undertaken by private companies and charities first, and, as a last resort, handled by local or state governments. Disasters would arguably be handled more effectively this way compared to the feds.

H.R. 5 Equality Act (Passed 236 to 173 on 5/17/19). Expands definition of protected classes in federal law to include “gender identity.” Males who identify as females would be able to use public restrooms of the opposite sex — and vice versa.

H.R. 9 Paris Agreement (Passed 231 to 190 on 5/2/19). Would prohibit the use of federal funds for withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Fulfilling the agreement would stifle U.S. economy without impacting on alleged man-made global warming

We support. Congress is vested with the power to declare war, and it has not authorized any intervention or war in Yemen. Nor should Congress do so since the civil war in Yemen does not threaten the U.S.

HR 8 Firearms Background Checks (Passed 240 to 190 on 2/27/19). Extends federal background checks to private sales, severely and unconstitutionally infringing on the right to keep and bear arms.

We oppose. The Constitution does not authorize Congress to purchase private property except “all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings.”

HJR 31 Consolidated Appropriations (Passed 300 to 128 on 2/14/19). Provides $333 billion in “discretionary” spending for the seven remaining fiscal 2019 appropriations bills. Most of the bill’s spending programs are unconstitutional.

Decisions regarding human interaction with various animal species, if handled by government at all, should be handled at the state and local levels. The U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government the authority to declare animals endangered and thus off-limits to hunt or otherwise manage. The growing gray wolf population has been a menace to farmers and ranchers in many states, and farmers are not allowed to protect their own property owing to federal regulations. Working to overturn such regulations is a good thing.

HR 6760 Tax Cuts (Passed 220 to 191 on 9/28/2018, Roll Call 414). Would make permanent the tax cuts for individuals in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that were set to expire at the end of 2025.

HR 6 Opioid Abuse Prevention and Health Programs (Passed 393 to 8 on 9/28/2018, Roll Call 415). Expands Medicare and Medicaid to cover medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse.

HR 6157 Defense-Labor-HHS-Education and Continuing Appropriations (Adopted 361 to 61 on 9/26/2018, Roll Call 405). Would provide $855.1 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2019.

HR 302 FAA Reauthorization and Supplemental Disaster Appropriations (Passed 398 to 23 on 9/26/2018, Roll Call 407). Reauthorizes appropriations for the FAA and TSA, as well as $1.7 billion for Hurricane Florence disaster relief. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

The Constitution does not give the federal government authority to get into the insurance business. Having the federal government as an insurer essentially subsidizes risky behavior, such as building in flood-, fire-, and earthquake-prone areas, and forces the taxpayer to pick up the tab. Insurance policies for natural disasters should be offered by private insurers, with the market setting the rates for such coverage.

This particular excise tax was put in place to help pay for an unconstitutional program — the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare. Repealing part of the funding for such an unconstitutional federal healthcare program is a good thing and should be supported.

HCR 119 Carbon Tax (Adopted 229 to 180 on 7/19/2018, Roll Call 363). Declares that a carbon tax would be "detrimental to American families and businesses" and "not in the best interest of the United States.”

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to regulate the environment in general, let alone regulate methane emissions that accompany oil and natural gas production, processing, and distribution.

HR 3 Appropriations Cuts (Passed 210 to 206 on 6/7/2018). Would cut nearly $15 billion from previously approved, unspent, and wasteful spending. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

HR 3249 Law Enforcement Partnership Grants (Passed 394 to 13 on 6/6/2018, Roll Call 239). Authorizes $50 million a year from 2019-2021 for the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program.

S 204 Experimental Drugs (Passed 250 to 169 on 5/22/2018, Roll Call 214). Would allow patients with life-threatening conditions to seek access to experimental drugs directly from a manufacturer without FDA approval.

The U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government any authority over what foods a person chooses to consume. In other words, it is illegal for the federal government to make raw milk illegal. While the federal government does have authority to “regulate Commerce … among the several States,” there is no reason for federal interference in a scenario such as this, where a product is legally sold in each of the states in question.

Rep. Jim Banks' (R-Ind.) amendment to HR 2 Waters of the United States (Adopted 238 to 173 on 5/18/2018, Roll Call 203). To repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 “Waters of the United States” rule.

Rep. Tom McClintock's (R-Ca.) amendment to HR 2 Agricultural Crop Subsidies (Rejected 34 to 380 on 5/17/2018, Roll Call 194). Would have phased out agricultural crop subsidies by fiscal year 2030.

HR 1625 Omnibus Appropriations (Passed 256 to 167 on 3/22/2018, Roll Call 127). Would provide $1.3 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

HR 4909 STOP School Violence Act (Passed 407 to 10 on 3/14/2018, Roll Call 106). Would authorize $75 million a year through 2028 for the Justice Department’s Secure Our Schools grant program. See U.S. Const., amend. 10.

HR 3326 World Bank (Passed 237 to 184 on 1/17/2018, Roll Call 24). Would authorize $3.29 billion in foreign aid to the World Bank International Development Association.

Rep. Justin Amash's (L-Mi.) amendment to S 139 Warrantless Surveillance (Rejected 183 to 233 on 1/11/2018, Roll Call 14). To end NSA collection of communications data that is neither to nor from an approved foreign target, but rather communications “about” a foreign target entirely between American citizens.

S 139 Warrantless Surveillance (Passed 256 to 164 on 1/11/2018, Roll Call 16). Would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through 2023, allowing secret FISA Court-approved surveillance of American citizens. See U.S. Const., amend. 4.

HR 1 Tax Cuts (Passed 224 to 201 on 12/20/2017, Roll Call 699). Would cut the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and individual income tax rates through 2025, and effectively eliminate the tax penalty on Americans who do not purchase health insurance.

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to interfere in healthcare, let alone ration it by deciding who should and should not receive medical care.

HR 36 Abortion (Passed 237 to 189 on 10/3/2017, Roll Call 549). Bans abortion when the age of the pre-born baby is 20 weeks or longer.

Going into homes to check up on the physical, emotional, and economic “wellness” of families not only goes way beyond the few and defined federal powers authorized by the Constitution, but also is part of a dangerous trend of government further interjecting itself into the family.

Rep. Salud Carbajal's (D-Calif.) amendment to HR 3354 Fracking (Rejected 177 to 230 on 9/8/2017). Would effectively prohibit fracking in the Pacific outer continental shelf. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

Rep. Ted Yoho's (R-Fla.) amendment to HR 3354 UN Human Rights Agencies (Rejected 199 to 212 on 9/7/2017, Roll Call 470). Prohibits the use of federal funds for making contributions to various UN human rights agencies. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

HR 3180 Intelligence Authorization (Passed 380 to 35 on 7/28/2017, Roll Call 437). Authorizes classified amounts of funding through fiscal 2018 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities, including the Office of the National Intelligence Director, the CIA, and the National Security Agency.

This bill provides temporary relief from having to immediately implement the new ozone reduction standards. Ideally, the EPA should be abolished and the Clean Air Act repealed, since both are unconstitutional infringements on state responsibilities.

HR 397 NATO (Passed 423 to 4 on 6/27/2017, Roll Call 328). "[S]olemnly reaffirms" the U.S. commitment to NATO based on principle of "collective defense."

HR 10 Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations (Passed 233 to 186 on 6/8/2017, Roll Call 299). Would overhaul financial industry regulations and repeal many provisions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law.

Providing federal equipment and training to state and local law-enforcement officers not only is unconstitutional, but also further federalizes the police system.

HR 1628 ObamaCare Replacement (Passed 217 to 213 on 5/4/2017, Roll Call 256). Would retain much of ObamaCare under the guise of "repeal and replace."

HR 244 Omnibus Appropriations (Passed 309 to 118 on 5/3/2017, Roll Call 249). Would provide $1.16 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending over the span of just under five months. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

This bill expands the "War on Terror" to include the fictitious and non-existent threat of "agro-terrorism" in the American homeland, thereby further interjecting the U.S. government into the agriculture sector, despite the absence of any constitutional power to manage this or any other sector of the American economy.

HR 1181 Veteran Gun Purchases (Passed 240 to 175 on 3/16/2017, Roll Call 169). Prohibits the U.S. government from preventing individuals from purchasing a gun simply by claiming the individual is "mentally incompetent." See U.S. Const., Amend. 2.

This legislation reaffirms Alaska's sovereign power to manage its wildlife. Since the power of wildlife management was not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, it is reserved to Alaska and the other 49 states according to the 10th Amendment.

This bill limits the power of an unconstitutional federal government agency. The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in healthcare, much less establish a Department of Health and Human Services, so any attempt to limit the power of an unconstitutional federal agency is a step in the right direction.

HJR 38 Stream Protection Rule (Passed 228 to 194 on 2/1/2017, Roll Call 73). Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

HR 7 Federal Funding for Abortion (Passed 238 to 183 on 1/24/2017, Roll Call 65). Would prohibit both federal funds and the District of Columbia's funds from being used to pay for abortions.

HR 26 Major Regulations (Passed 237 to 187 on 1/5/2017, Roll Call 23). Would require congressional approval before any "major rule" issued by an executive branch agency could go into effect. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 1.

HR2028 Continuing Appropriations (Passed 326 to 96 on 12/8/2016, Roll Call 620). Provides funding for federal government operations at the fiscal year 2016 level through April 28, 2017 at an annualized “discretionary” rate of $1.07 trillion.

The authorizations in this bill go way beyond providing for our national defense. Our foreign military interventions in the Middle East in particular have exacerbated terrorism and undermined U.S. security. The creation of the Orwellian “Global Engagement Center,” which was added to the NDAA without Congress being able to vote on it as a stand-alone bill, also falls outside the scope of legitimate national defense. Rather than agreeing to the version of NDAA they did, our lawmakers should have rejected it and passed instead a constitutionally sound version.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to be making environmental regulations. Such regulations on power plants will likely do nothing to actually help the environment, but will hurt consumers via higher prices and will almost certainly cause job losses in the energy sector. The EPA is an unconstitutional federal agency created by executive order, and Congress really ought to abolish it. Any action to limit the EPA’s power is a good thing.

The U.S. government should not be subsidizing abortions. While it is certainly constitutional for the federal government to provide healthcare to federal employees, abortion is not healthcare. The federal government should not be using taxpayer money to pay for the taking of innocent life.

Amendment to HR5293 Warrantless Surveillance (Rejected 198 to 222 on 6/16/2016, Roll Call 321). Bars the use of funds in the bill from being used to conduct warrantless searches of Americans’ digital communications that have crossed the U.S. border. 

The so-called green-energy mandates squander military resources and undermine the purpose of having a military, which is to defend the United States and win our wars.

U.S. foreign aid is unconstitutional, and aid sent to Pakistan has undermined rather than helped the cause of freedom.

Amendment to HR5293 Aid to Syria (Rejected 135 to 283 on 6/16/2016, Roll Call 328). Prohibits the use of funds in the bill for the Syria Train and Equip Program.

Presidents have been able to claim broad authority to go to war whenever or wherever they choose under the AUMF, despite the fact that the Founding Fathers never intended for one man to make this decision, and under the Constitution only Congress may “declare war.”

Providing federal training to state and local law-enforcement programs is not only unconstitutional, but also further federalizes the police system.

The federal government possesses no constitutional authority to set emission standards, ozone levels have been dropping anyway, and Americans need jobs.

The federal government should not be in the business of subsidizing energy production (which is unconstitutional), let alone picking “winners and losers” in the marketplace by propping up favored companies with grants and research money while others do not receive such help.

Amendment to HR4909 Environmental Executive Orders (Passed 227 to 198 on 5/18/2016, Roll Call 209). Prohibits the use of funds for President Obama’s executive orders that require the Defense Department to meet “green” energy mandates

Presidents have been able to claim broad authority to go to war whenever or wherever they choose under the AUMF, despite the fact that the Founding Fathers never intended for one man to make this decision, and under the Constitution only Congress may “declare war.”

The Internet sector, like the broader economy, should be a free market, and the federal government has no constitutional authority to intrude.

Feeding the world is not a proper responsibility of the U.S. government. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is there any authorization for the federal government to feed the American people, let alone citizens of other countries. Furthermore, offering “aid” to impoverished countries is often a means to prop up dictators who will bend to the will of the wealthy country in exchange for money. Such corrupt rulers have little regard for the welfare of their people, so the “aid” rarely finds its way to the people who need it most.

This is constitutionally exemplary for the House of Representatives to take legal action to uphold Congress’ sole authority to legislate regarding naturalization and to make the point that the executive branch has the duty to enforce the laws made by Congress.

H.R. 3797 would ease emissions regulations threatening the viability of refuse coal power plants, which benefit the environment by utilizing coal-mining byproduct as an energy source. The federal government has no constitutional authority to regulate plant emissions to begin with.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to require individuals to purchase health insurance, to manage the healthcare industry, or to provide funds to organizations that terminate the lives of the preborn.

Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the rule were to be allowed to go into effect, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any “body of water,” no matter how small.

With this omnibus bill members of Congress are failing to address their fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars, as well as minimizing their accountability to the voters by combining all discretionary federal spending for fiscal 2016 into one gigantic “take it or leave it” bill.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved with education; nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is education listed as one of the government’s enumerated powers. K-12 education, if publicly funded, should be run primarily by parents coordinating with local school districts rather than by a centralized bureaucracy out of Washington, D.C.

The federal government should not hinder existing power plants with regulations that stifle energy production and increase rates, there is no authorization in the Constitution for the federal government to interfere in the energy sector, and CO2 is not a pollutant.

The federal government should live within its means, suspending the debt limit is even worse than raising it, and most of the spending responsible for the ballooning national debt is unconstitutional.

The Export-Import Bank is a poster boy for corporate cronyism. The government finances or insures foreign purchases from U.S. companies that commercial banks are unwilling or unable to finance owing to the political or commercial risks inherent in the deals, leaving taxpayers on the hook in the event of default. Constitutionally speaking, the U.S. government should not be underwriting private businesses at taxpayers’ expense, regardless of whether or not such businesses are small, “mom and pop” companies.

The federal government should not, and has no constitutional authority to, subsidize the killing of innocent human life.

All legislative powers in the Constitution are vested in Congress, not the executive branch. Mandatory rules issued by the executive branch might not be called laws, but they have the same effect as laws, and what they are called does not change the reality.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to interject itself into the education sector, and Common Core is intended to create a national curriculum leading to nationalized education.

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to interfere in healthcare, let alone ration it by deciding who should and should not receive medical care.

TPA would facilitate the subordination of the national independence of the United States to regional blocs of nations in a process that is leading toward a world government.

HR1314 Trade Promotion Authority (Passed 219 to 211 on 6/12/2015, Roll Call 362). The House held separate roll call votes on the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) sections of H.R. 1314.

This bill would cede national sovereignty over food-related choices and regulations to the WTO. Moreover, this bill would prevent American consumers from knowing where their food comes from.

The constitutionally dubious premise of federal regulation of "navigable waters" on the basis of the interstate commerce clause should not encompass puddles, ditches, seasonal streams, and isolated ponds on private lands.

This bill would further empower the unconstitutional Department of Homeland Security, erode the privacy protections enshrined in the Constitution, and gradually move the United States closer to becoming a police state.

The estate tax discourages upward mobility in America's middle class by making it prohibitively expensive to pass on a family business or farm to one's descendants. Even though proponents of the estate tax claim that its repeal would only benefit the super-rich at the expense of everyone else, the wealthy are often not adversely affected by the estate tax and can usually avoid it via accounting strategies and funneling money into tax-free foundations. In fact, in 2001 over 120 of America's wealthiest urged Congress not to repeal the estate tax.

Foreign aid is unconstitutional but also because this bill would further interject the United States into a foreign conflict. Allowing the U.S. president to provide lethal arms to Ukraine in order to fight Russia is tantamount to waging a proxy war on Russia without the constitutionally required congressional declaration of war. The House, by giving such power to the president, is relinquishing one of its constitutional responsibilities.

HR749 Amtrak Reauthorization (Passed 316 to 101 on 3/4/2015, Roll Call 112). Authorizes $7.2 billion for Amtrak funding over the next four years.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to require individuals to purchase health insurance or to manage the healthcare industry.

The government should not be subsidizing the killing of innocent human life, but also because there is no constitutional authority for the government to manage or finance the healthcare sector.

The president is not a "king" or "dictator" who may make his own law. Under the U.S. Constitution, "all legislative powers herein granted" are delegated to Congress, and it is the responsibility of the president to faithfully execute the law.

HR83 Omnibus Appropriations (Passed 219 to 206 on 12/11/2014, Roll Call 563). Provides $1.013 trillion in discretionary appropriations in fiscal 2015 for federal departments and agencies.

"President Obama's grant of deferred action to more than four million unlawfully present aliens, as directed in a November 20, 2014, memorandum issued by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Charles Johnson, is without any constitutional or statutory basis," as correctly stated in the bill.

This bill essentially gets the federal government out of the way of economic development. While one could correctly argue that the federal government should not have been involved in this issue in the first place, and that from a constitutional standpoint it should be left up to the states, private property owners, and TransCanada to work out an arrangement, this bill is definitely a step in the right direction since it would remove unconstitutional federal regulatory roadblocks against the pipeline project.

The Federal Reserve System, essentially a cartel of private banks functioning as a central bank, is unconstitutional and is responsible for much of the nation's current financial problems via its control of money and credit. An audit of the Fed would shed light on its otherwise secretive practices and perhaps lead to its eventual abolishment.

Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the rule were to pass, activities such as farming would become nearly unfeasible, since farmers would have to get federal permits to do many farm activities, such as cleaning out ditches.

The federal government should not hinder the development and utilization of the nation's natural resources, including oil and gas. Encouraging and allowing such development is in line with the Constitution and should therefore be supported. Additionally, such a move would place America further along the road to energy self-sufficiency, which is important for national security and insulation from various global political crises.

HR4870 Surveillance (Passed 293 to 123 on 6/19/2014, Roll Call 327). Prevents defense funds from being used to allow U.S. intelligence agencies to sift through electronic metadata that contains the personal information of U.S. citizens.

Arming "moderate" rebels in a foreign country is tantamount to going to war, which would require a declaration of war by Congress. Also, the United States should follow the Founders' advice not to become involved in foreign quarrels.

Amendment to HR4870 Militarizing Local Police (Rejected 62 to 355 on 6/19/2014, Roll Call 329).  Prohibited any funding in the bill from being used to transfer excess military equipment for police.

Presidents have been able to claim broad authority to go to war whenever or wherever they choose under the AUMF, despite the fact that the Founding Fathers never intended for one man to make this decision and under the Constitution only Congress may "declare war."

Any attempt to limit or prohibit indefinite military detention is desirable, especially since persons detained may include U.S. citizens. Indefinite military detention is a blatant violation of the Sixth Amendment, and an executive who can wield such powers is akin to a monarch or dictator. As Rep. Smith said during consideration of the amendment: "That is an enormous amount of power to give the Executive: to take someone and lock them up without due process. It is not necessary. This President has not used the authority. President George W. Bush did not use it after about 2002 and then only in a couple of instances. It is not necessary. It is an enormous amount of power to grant the Executive, and I believe places liberty and freedom at risk in this country."

The Authorization for the Use of Military Force, while granted by Congress, gives the president almost unlimited powers to invade countries, overthrow governments, and assassinate people under the pretext of waging the "war on terror." Congress essentially handed over its constitutional authority to declare war to the executive branch, thus giving the executive unconstitutional abilities. Any attempt to end the Authorization for the Use of Military Force is a step in the right direction.

HR4152 Ukraine Aid (Passed 378 to 34 on 4/1/2014, Roll Call 149). Provides $150 million for direct aid to Ukraine.

Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires that the president "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." When instead the president picks and chooses which laws to enforce and which to ignore, he is usurping the powers of Congress, which under the Constitution possesses sole legislative powers.

Restricting greenhouse-gas emissions would be harmful to the economy, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are not pollutants, and the federal government has no constitutional authority to limit such emissions.

The federal government should live within its means, suspending the debt limit is even worse than raising it, and most of the spending responsible for the ballooning national debt is unconstitutional.

Both farm aid and food aid are unconstitutional. The food subsidy programs are supposed to help the poor, but in practice they have done little to lift people out of poverty, as evidenced by the growing number of recipients of these programs.

The government should not be subsidizing the killing of innocent human life. There is no constitutional authority for the government to manage or finance the healthcare sector.

With this budget agreement Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars that contribute directly to the dramatic growth of our $17 trillion national debt.

With this budget agreement Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars that contribute directly to the dramatic growth of our $17 trillion national debt.

The negotiated deal contained in this bill constituted a cave-in by 87 Republicans that ended the government shutdown as well as the Republican attempt to defund the unconstitutional ObamaCare law.

Even though the bill contains appropriations for huge amounts of unconstitutional spending, it would completely defund unconstitutional ObamaCare in fiscal 2014.

In recent decades the executive branch, via various federal agencies and executive orders, has exercised a great deal of unconstitutional power. An executive who can write laws and regulations apart from the legislature is basically a king or a dictator, and this abuse of power is precisely what the Founding Fathers tried to prevent with the separation of powers.

Communist China is a self-proclaimed enemy of the United States, responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people in the 20th century; continues to persecute countless political dissenters, Christians, and other religious minorities; and has recently threatened to target and destroy U.S. cities with nuclear-tipped ICBMs. Military collaboration with the Chinese regime will not diminish the security threat it poses to the United States but, if anything, heighten it.

Only Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war and appropriate funds to pay for it. Authorizing the president to use military force without a declaration of war is a shifting of responsibility from Congress to the executive branch that essentially allows the president to exercise dictator-like powers and should be opposed.

Any effort to limit the collection of Americans' personal information by the surveillance state is a good thing. Blanket collection of electronic records of citizens who are not under investigation is a violation of the Fourth Amendment's prohibition on search and seizure without a warrant.

It is preposterous that the United States would take U.S. taxpayer dollars to purchase helicopters for the new Afghan military from Rosoboronexport, a Russian state-owned export company that has manufactured and supplied arms to enemy states, such as Iran and Syria.

Increased exploration and utilization of the country's energy resources would greatly assist economic growth and energy independence for our nation.

This legislation would call for nearly $1 trillion in unconstitutional spending. The constitution does not authorize the federal government to subsidize food, farmers, or poverty. These subsidies have resulted in large market distortions as the government essentially picks winners and losers in the food production industry, and the fact that the number of people enrolled in food stamp programs has grown consistently illustrates that these programs do little to lift people out of poverty.

Indefinite detention without trial is a serious violation of long-cherished legal protections including the right to habeas corpus, the issuance of a warrant based on probable cause (Fourth Amendment), and the right to a "speedy and public" trial (Sixth Amendment). Under the National Defense Authorization Act, the president may abrogate these rights simply by designating terror suspects, including Americans, as "enemy combatants." A government that would lock up anyone indefinitely without trial is certainly moving toward tyranny, and legislation to prevent this abuse of power is needed.

Only Congress has the power under the Constitution "to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization."

The size of DHS ammunition purchases is alarming - particularly considering that under our constitutional system domestic law enforcement is a local and state responsibility.

HR3 Keystone XL Pipeline (Passed 241 to 175 on 5/22/2013, Roll Call 179). Declares that "no Presidential permit shall be required for the pipeline described in the application filed on May 4, 2012, by TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P."

ObamaCare is obviously unconstitutional, and it is causing healthcare costs to rise dramatically.

the massive sharing of private citizens' online data by Internet companies with federal government agencies authorized by this bill violates "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" as set forth in the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

Passage of this mammoth continuing resolution provided a way for Congress to perpetuate its fiscally irresponsible, unconstitutional spending habits with a minimum of accountability to its constituents.

It is unconstitutional for the government to prohibit citizens from working for less than a government-set wage.

The runaway federal spending needs to be reined in. Though the sequestration cuts are too small to solve the fiscal crisis, they are better than no cuts at all.