TITLE: Urging the United States Congress to reaffirm its commitment to the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, to abolish the Department of Education, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Commerce, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Labor, to reduce the federal income tax by an amount equal to the cost savings associated with the abolition of these agencies, to commit to never usurping the rights of the states in future legislation, and to refrain from exempting itself from any legislation it so passes.

SUMMARY: Urging the United States Congress to reaffirm its commitment to the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, to abolish the Department of Education, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Commerce, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Labor, to reduce the federal income tax by an amount equal to the cost savings associated with the abolition of these agencies, to commit to never usurping the rights of the states in future legislation, and to refrain from exempting itself from any legislation it so passes.

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