Leaders should heed constitutional contract
To the editor:
Republican Indiana District 6 Congressman Luke Messer has recently announced that he will run for the seat in the U.S. Senate currently occupied by Democrat Joe Donnelly. He says he is “humbled and honored” to receive the backing of Indiana State Senate President Pro Tempore David Long.
I would suggest that this endorsement is not a good thing. Neither Long nor Messer have any idea what the limits are on government as determined by the U.S. and Indiana constitutions.
Long seems to think we need an Article V convention, because apparently we need more amendments to the Constitution that Congress will continue to ignore. He also has told me personally that the 10th Amendment (the powers reserved to the states) “doesn’t exist anymore,” but somehow I am unable to find its repeal anywhere.
Messer has no idea that his job in Congress is NOT “getting things done — things like healthcare, infrastructure, taxes, restoring our military and better protecting our veterans.” His job is to obey his oath to the U.S. Constitution and its limits on the federal government. Healthcare and infrastructure (or education, housing, welfare, agriculture, energy, broadcasting and more) are not among the powers of the federal government.
The arrogance, among all members of Congress, that a law degree and legislative experience somehow make them all experts in all areas, is exceeded only by the ignorance of the American people to actually believe: 1) they are capable of doing it; and 2) that it is even a power of the federal government.
For instance, where do these members of Congress obtain the expertise to reform healthcare, and where in the U.S. Constitution is that listed as among the powers of the federal government? Congress needs to pass a clean repeal of the illegal and unconstitutional, so-called Affordable Care Act and return it to the states and the people to address locally.
I look forward to the day when, rather than adding more amendments to the U.S. Constitution to be ignored, we try obeying it as the contract that it is. Let’s tuck the federal government back into the tiny box of limitations called the U.S. Constitution and leave most matters, per the ninth and 10th Amendments, to the people and the states, respectively.
I will support a candidate who actually understands this. It’s not likely to be Luke Messer.
Carolyn Kadlec Flynn
Greenfield
