In the Globe's latest installment of their "100 words project," Sen. Gary Nodler (R-Joplin) gives readers a list of "the worst examples of federal spending without constitutional authority."
One hundred words is not enough for a comprehensive list, so I will use a slightly abbreviated version of a list proposed by Howard Phillips of the worst examples of federal spending without constitutional authority: AIDS education (there is no constitutional authority for this program), family planning, “dues” to the United Nations, office of the U.S. trade representative, the Legal Services Corporation, Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), sex education, the U.S. Department of Education, FDA-authorized distribution of RU-486, foreign aid, welfare for non-citizens.
Fellow Sen. Jack Goodman also advocates for the elimination of Departments of Education Energy "and others," which he says "have usurped state and local authority."
These are strange times we live in. Nodler and Goodman are aware that all of these programs and departments existed before January 2009, right? The Department of Education, United Nations and "foreign aid" even existed when Nodler was working for Congressman Gene Taylor in the '70s and '80s. But Nodler says they're all "federal spending without constitutional authority" now...
This is somewhat secondary, but does it concern anyone that Nodler is getting his ideas on federal policy from this guy?
Image credit: Joplin Globe
