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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment to the United States |
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Constitution places clear limits on the reach of the federal |
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government; however, through the years, the U.S. Congress has |
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seized upon the Interstate Commerce Clause in Article 1, Section 8 |
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of the Constitution as justification for methodically expanding its |
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own powers; and |
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WHEREAS, The Interstate Commerce Clause provides that |
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Congress shall have only the authority "[t]o regulate Commerce with |
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foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian |
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Tribes" and should not be used to provide Congress with powers |
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beyond those originally intended by the framers of the |
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Constitution, such as the establishment of regulations, agencies, |
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and government programs that usurp the duties and responsibilities |
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reserved for the states by the Tenth Amendment; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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reaffirm its commitment to the Tenth Amendment of the United States |
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Constitution by returning to the states the many duties and |
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responsibilities reserved to them; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Texas Legislature urge the Congress |
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of the United States to abolish, in an orderly and expeditious |
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fashion, within a time span not to exceed 10 years, the Department |
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of Education, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of |
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Commerce, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the |
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Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of |
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Labor; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Texas Legislature urge the Congress |
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of the United States to reduce the federal income tax by an amount |
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equal to the cost savings associated with the abolition of these |
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agencies, to commit to never usurping the rights of the states in |
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any future legislation, and to refrain from exempting itself from |
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any legislation it so passes; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |