What does “promote the general Welfare” in the preamble mean?
General Welfare is also mentioned in Article 1, Section 8:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States…
Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, “To provide for the general welfare of the United States, that is to say, ‘to lay taxes for the purpose of providing for the general welfare.’ For the laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare the purpose for which the power is to be exercised. They are not to lay taxes, ad libitum for any purpose they please; but only to pay the debts or provide for the welfare of the Union.”
McClain asserted, “Congress will not lay a single tax when it is not to the advantage of the people at large.”
Hamilton clarified, “The United States, in their united or collective capacity, are the OBJECTS to which all general provisions in the Constitution must necessarily be construed to refer.”
The Supreme Court decision in the Butler case of 1936 reversed the original Constitutional purpose for the general welfare clause from making law that affected everyone equally to using law to benefit certain groups or locations of people.
In 1947 the Supreme Court further changed the original intent of our Constitution’s general welfare clause by allowing the federal government to use allocation of funds to force compliance of the federal will upon the states. This is exactly what Madison had warned against. The original welfare clause purpose was a limitation on the power to tax, not a grant of power from the federal government to the states.
Father, help us to steward the responsibilities of freedom as our Founders did, for our little ones yet to be born. In Jesus’ Mighty Name! Amen.
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