Cancer Research Trust Fund Act

The Cancer Research Trust Fund Act falls within the constitutional authority of Congress to lay and collect taxes and provide for the general welfare. Cancer research is a matter of national concern, and a trust fund dedicated to such research is a proper exercise of the spending power. The Necessary and Proper Clause further authorizes Congress to establish mechanisms to execute its enumerated powers. As argued in Federalist No. 30, the power to raise revenue for the general welfare is essential to the national government, and this bill is a legitimate use of that power.

This bill proposes to establish a federal trust fund for cancer research, which would require the collection and expenditure of public monies for a purpose not enumerated in the Constitution. The Tenth Amendment reserves to the States or to the people all powers not delegated to the United States. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government granted authority to fund medical research, which is a matter of general welfare best left to the States or private charity. The General Welfare Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) is a limitation on the taxing power, not an independent grant …

The Cancer Research Trust Fund Act, as a federal expenditure directed toward medical research, falls within the enumerated power of Congress to lay and collect taxes and provide for the general welfare. Cancer afflicts citizens across the several states, and a coordinated national effort to combat it is a matter of general, not local, concern. The establishment of a trust fund is a proper instrumentality for managing such public resources, so long as the funds are applied to the stated national purpose and do not become a vehicle for particular or partial interests. The Tenth Amendment reserve…

This bill establishes a trust fund for cancer research, which falls within the power of Congress to lay and collect taxes to provide for the general welfare. The Necessary and Proper Clause grants Congress the authority to enact such measures as are appropriate to carry out its enumerated powers. As held in McCulloch v. Maryland, Congress may employ means not explicitly enumerated in the Constitution to achieve legitimate ends. Furthermore, the general welfare clause, as a distinct grant of power, authorizes expenditures for the public good, including medical research. Therefore, the Cancer Re…