HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Wheat, Weed, and ObamaCare: How the Commerce Clause Made Congress All-Powerful

Views:1013
@ReasonVids

Update: U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled that because the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's individual mandate to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional, the entire law "must be declared void." Judge Vinson cites this Reason.tv video on page 47 of his decision.
---

The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to "regulate commerce . . . among the several States," and for more than 100 years federal lawmakers invoked it for a very narrow purpose—to prevent states from imposing trade barriers on each other. But today members of Congress act as if it gives them the authority to do just about anything—including forcing you to eat your vegetables.


During her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Elena Kagan seemed to accept that the Commerce Clause could, in theory, give Congress the power to dictate what Americans eat. And what about ObamaCare's "individual mandate," which forces Americans to purchase health insurance? ObamaCare opponents are lining up to challenge its constitutionality, but supporters say it's justified—you guessed it—under the Commerce Clause.


How did a clause intended as a restriction on states wind up giving Congress a green light to regulate noncommercial, local, and purely private behavior? How will ObamaCare stand up against the legal challenges brought by the states? Legal titans John Eastman (Chapman University Law Professor) and Erwin Chemerinsky (Founding Dean, University of California, Irvine School of Law) slug it out to to determine whether or not Congress has been abusing the commerce clause.


Produced by Austin Bragg. Approximately 10 minutes.


Scroll down for HD, iPod, and audio versions of all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

reason.tv
,
reason.com
,
reason foundation
,
reason magazine
,
obama
,
obamacare
,
individual
,
mandate
,
individual mandate
,
health
,
care
,
healthcare
,
commerce
,
clause
,
constitution
,
wickard
,
austin bragg
,
supreme
,
court
,
john
,
eastman
,
erwin
,
chemerinsky
    Thumbnail for Filling Up Prisons Without Fighting Crime: Mark Kleiman on America's Criminal Justice System7:04
    Filling Up Prisons Without Fighting Crime: Mark Kleiman on America's Criminal Justice System
    ReasonVids
    918 views
    Thumbnail for Stossel: Star Trek's William Shatner Debates Safety and Space Travel4:05
    Stossel: Star Trek's William Shatner Debates Safety and Space Travel
    ReasonVids
    852 views
    Thumbnail for AY CARAMBA! LA MIGRA! ANDALE ANDALE ARIIIBA!!! WEY0:29
    AY CARAMBA! LA MIGRA! ANDALE ANDALE ARIIIBA!!! WEY
    bestofupgoat
    404 views
    Thumbnail for Why gynoids should never be in positions of authority, ever, for any reason at any time 0:23
    Why gynoids should never be in positions of authority, ever, for any reason at any time
    bestofupgoat
    398 views
    Thumbnail for This Self-Taught Programmer Is Bringing Transparency to California Politics7:04
    This Self-Taught Programmer Is Bringing Transparency to California Politics
    ReasonVids
    888 views
    Thumbnail for How the Federal Government Is Killing Free Speech on Campus27:31
    How the Federal Government Is Killing Free Speech on Campus
    ReasonVids
    921 views
    Thumbnail for Console Connect: Making life easier for network engineers | Console Connect0:46
    Console Connect: Making life easier for network engineers | Console Connect
    invidious
    311 views
    Thumbnail for The agenda is to make the mentally unstable validated and accepted, and to have young boys/men think that this is normal and healthy.0:58
    The agenda is to make the mentally unstable validated and accepted, and to have young boys/men think that this is normal and healthy.
    AOU
    1583 views
    Thumbnail for LA County Sheriffs Hassle Photographer, Trample Constitution, Get Lauded by Bosses9:57
    LA County Sheriffs Hassle Photographer, Trample Constitution, Get Lauded by Bosses
    ReasonVids
    867 views
    Thumbnail for Is This Gary Johnson's Last Campaign?9:35
    Is This Gary Johnson's Last Campaign?
    ReasonVids
    1093 views
    Thumbnail for Shikha Dalmia: 5 Reasons Why Low Skilled Immigrants are Good for the Economy3:00
    Shikha Dalmia: 5 Reasons Why Low Skilled Immigrants are Good for the Economy
    ReasonVids
    869 views
    Thumbnail for Ralph Nader on "Spoiling" the Election for Al Gore0:50
    Ralph Nader on "Spoiling" the Election for Al Gore
    ReasonVids
    935 views
    Thumbnail for Stossel: Jordan Peterson vs. “Social Justice Warriors”7:19
    Stossel: Jordan Peterson vs. “Social Justice Warriors”
    ReasonVids
    865 views
    Thumbnail for Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 3)1:11
    Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 3)
    ReasonVids
    833 views
    Thumbnail for Sitting Bull gets owned.2:04
    Sitting Bull gets owned.
    bestofvoatxyz
    765 views
    Thumbnail for Fighting Crime or Raising Revenue?1:01
    Fighting Crime or Raising Revenue?
    IJvids
    813 views
    Thumbnail for Why Millennials Hate Free Speech and What to Do About It53:03
    Why Millennials Hate Free Speech and What to Do About It
    ReasonVids
    943 views
    Thumbnail for CATFISH NOODLING: 27lb Flathead Catfish weighed on HME Scales. | Hannah Barron1:26
    CATFISH NOODLING: 27lb Flathead Catfish weighed on HME Scales. | Hannah Barron
    invidious
    405 views
    Thumbnail for Homer's typing Bird3:33
    Homer's typing Bird
    clips
    1014 views
    Thumbnail for Upon rewatching, The Matrix is a bit more.... lofi than I remembered. 0:48
    Upon rewatching, The Matrix is a bit more.... lofi than I remembered.
    voatcatbox
    509 views
    Thumbnail for only fans0:30
    only fans
    bestofupgoat
    482 views
    Thumbnail for Fox Business: IJ's Scott Bullock discusses "policing for profit" with David Asman4:51
    Fox Business: IJ's Scott Bullock discusses "policing for profit" with David Asman
    IJvids
    1051 views
    Thumbnail for 3 Reasons Not to Go to War with Syria2:14
    3 Reasons Not to Go to War with Syria
    ReasonVids
    883 views
    Thumbnail for Fighting Youth Discrimination: Q&A with NYRA President Jeffrey Nadel4:30
    Fighting Youth Discrimination: Q&A with NYRA President Jeffrey Nadel
    ReasonVids
    862 views
    Thumbnail for 3D Printing, Guns, & Sex Toys: Q&A with 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental3:22
    3D Printing, Guns, & Sex Toys: Q&A with 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental
    ReasonVids
    871 views

points

Permalink
Reply
reason.tv
,
reason.com
,
reason foundation
,
reason magazine
,
obama
,
obamacare
,
individual
,
mandate
,
individual mandate
,
health
,
care
,
healthcare
,
commerce
,
clause
,
constitution
,
wickard
,
austin bragg
,
supreme
,
court
,
john
,
eastman
,
erwin
,
chemerinsky
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle