05 14 09 10th Amendment

Reflections on a Raging Debate By Texas Governor Rick Perry About a month ago, I stood with a bipartisan group of Texas legislators to speak in support of a resolution honoring the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The resolution simply restates the Constitution's principle of Federalism, that powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states or the people. At a time when the federal government is passing trillion-dollar bailouts, bullying states to increase taxes and bureaucracies, and even taking control of private companies, Americans are increasingly reconnecting with the concept of limited government contained in that amendment. I can’t say I was surprised that critics worked so hard to recast my defense of federalism and fiscal discipline into advocacy for secession from the Union. Of course, I have never advocated for secession and never will. Like the President, members of Congress and every other state governor, I have sworn oaths to our nation and Constitution. My sincere pledge to uphold and defend the Constitution has fueled my concern and my statements about the recent unprecedented expansion of our federal government. The TEA Parties that rose up across the country and will continue in the months to come are examples of what Thomas Jefferson, an architect of our Constitution, meant when he said, “Every generation needs a new revolution.” In our time, this informed dissent is taking shape in response to Washington’s unprecedented excess. Just this week, I took part in a nationwide tele-townhall meeting that showed this sentiment continues to grow. When Congress and the President make plans to increase the federal debt by one-third in just the first 100 days, citizens and taxpayers should be worried. When federal “stimulus” bills force state governments to change longstanding laws, raise taxes and increase government spending, citizens and taxpayers should be outraged. The swollen river known as the federal government has clearly overflowed its banks. The President’s budget takes a $1.7 trillion deficit and increases that by $177 billion. As planned spending continues, the deficit will eventually quadruple in size by 2019. As more Americans do this math and calculate the impact of a $765 billion deficit on their children’s future, their frustration is growing. I suspect America’s founders would be appalled at their successors taking control of private corporations, hiring and firing workers and breaking contracts. Watching the federal government purchase majority stakes in large manufacturers should terrify anyone who ever saw a Cold War-era Page 1 of 2

Reflections on a Raging Debate By Texas Governor Rick Perry Russian automobile. At a cellular level, government lacks competitiveness, which makes it a breeding ground for inefficiency and stagnation. Those looking for the positive impact of limited government and fiscal conservatism should turn their eyes to Texas. Our Constitution limits our Legislature to 140 days every two years with the bottom line of a balanced budget. Our freedom from an income tax makes us attractive to employers and entrepreneurs as do our predictable regulatory climate and fair legal system. Add hard-working Texans to our opportunity-friendly environment, and you start to understand why we lead the nation in exports, job creation and Fortune 500 companies. Limited government works. Apologists for an all-encompassing government tout side-issues as a smokescreen to obscure the truly necessary debate on the proper role and size of government. That is why I have enthusiastically added my voice to the growing chorus of 10th Amendment supporters. None of us want to see unconstrained government of the magnitude that the amendment’s authors were so careful to legislate against. As we watch the federal government expand before our very eyes, those of us who value freedom are simply sounding the alarm with every means available to us. We cannot stand idly by while the system that has allowed Americans to determine their own destiny and compete on their own merits is dismantled. Instead, we will exercise our First Amendment rights and speak the truth to power until we achieve change that Texans can live with.

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