10^th AMENDMENT TASK FORCE

1)    Houston, we have takoff.  The Congressional 10^th Amendment Task Force officially launched May 6, 2010.  The rollout was a great success and was covered by Fox News, the Washington Times, Roll Call, and a number of other national and regional media outlets.

2)      Rep. Culberson doesn’t water down message.  Rep. John Culberson (TX-07), a founding Member of the 10^th Amendment Task Force, pulled out some water bottles to demonstrate the purpose and goals of the Task Force on C-SPAN’s popular morning show, Washington Journal.

3)      New CRS memo says Obamacare may violate 10^th Amendment.  A recently released memo from the Congressional Research Service finds that Obamacare raises serious constitutional concerns related to the 10^th Amendment.

4)      The Conservative Case for Federalism.  Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) makes the conservative case for a federalist revival in the National Review and Human Events.

5)      The Progressive Case for Federalism.  E.D. Kain makes a persuasive case for why progressives should support federalism.

6)      Feds meddling with successful state welfare reforms.  RSC Chairman Tom Price is promoting legislation to repeal a provision in the “stimulus” bill that undermines the 1996 welfare reform law, one of the most successful devolutions of power and responsibility over the last two decades.   

7)      Let the wild rumpus begin!  In the first of many forthcoming proposals to disperse power to the people, Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) recently introduced the Utah Laboratory of Democracy Act to allow the state of Utah to assume full responsibility for programs in the areas of education, transportation, and Medicaid.  The legislation is based on a bold proposal floated in a recent the Washington Post op-ed by Utah state leaders. 

8)      We’ve got to fight, for our rights… Hillsdale College’s Kirby Center just published a white paper titled “The Coming Constitutional Debate: A Citizen’s Guide.”  The paper argues that unless citizens engage the constitutional debate, it will be settled--without their participation--by judges. 

9)      Keep it simple, stupid.  The esteemed scholar, Pietro Nivola, makes the common sense point that the national government is so busy with major problems it shouldn’t “keep piling on top of those daunting tasks a second-tier agenda that injudiciously dabbles in too many decisions and duties best consigned to local entities.”

10)   Flashback:  Good background material can be found in this 2008 report from the Congressional Research Service entitled “Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution.”