Nevada senate candidate Sharron Angle says it’s not her job to create jobs and incumbent Harry Reid mocks her for it. Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus now airs ads likewise slamming opponent Joe Heck for saying the same thing. This clearly appeals to voters: many are our of work, or know people who are, and we’re all scared.
But convenient mocking aside, who’s right? Is it the job of senators to create jobs? Well, where does it say what a senator’s job is?
In the Constitution, of course. Specifically, in Article I, Section 8. I’ve pasted it below. Let’s see if it mentions “creating jobs.”
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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; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
[Hmmm, OK, this is about financial and defense responsibilities, but nothing about making new jobs for people…]
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
[…not yet…]
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
[…nope…]
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
[..nice, but jobs haven’t popped up yet…]
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
[It seems Congress has a lot of fiscal duties, and needs to secure the physical safety of the nation, but I still don’t see “create jobs.”]
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
[…that’s not it…]
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
[Ooh, ooh, ooh! This is it! Congress is supposed to make everyone a mail man! Er, no, that can’t be right…]
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
[Hey, Congress establishes copyrights. Cool. But, alas, no new jobs created.]
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
[…]
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
[Fighting pirates is also cool, but that’s changing the subject…]
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
[…]
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
[…]
To provide and maintain a Navy;
[Wow, most of the federal government’s jobs seem to deal with, um, federal stuff like coining money and conducting wars, not civil peacetime stuff like, oh, I don’t know, insuring health care, or advocating for social change. Or creating jobs.]
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
[…]
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
[“Repel invasions”? Say, that could come in handy…]
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
[If we can’t make everyone a mail man, let’s make everyone a soldier! Hooray for universal employment courtesy of Uncle Sam!]
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And
[Bet Congress wishes this extended over the whole country…]
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
[This just means they have the authority to do the things outlined above.]
Well, shucks, those dumb old Founding Fathers seem to have plain forgot to list “creating jobs” as one of the things senators are supposed to do. How come they didn’t understand the Constitution as well as Harry Reid?
Gently Hew Stone 