Tick-Borne Livestock Disease Research Prioritization Act

This bill falls squarely within the enumerated powers of Congress under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3, which grants Congress the authority to regulate commerce among the several states. Livestock diseases directly affect interstate and international commerce in agricultural products, and research into such diseases is a proper means of regulating that commerce. Additionally, Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 empowers Congress to provide for the general welfare through spending, and funding research into agricultural diseases is a legitimate exercise of that power. The bill does not infringe upon…

The Constitution grants Congress power over interstate commerce, including agriculture, under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3. However, the Tenth Amendment reserves to the states all powers not delegated to the United States. This bill may be constitutional if it strictly addresses interstate livestock disease threats and does not intrude upon state police powers over intrastate animal health. It must not impose unfunded mandates or direct state research priorities, as such would exceed enumerated powers.

This bill, by directing federal research into tick-borne livestock diseases, falls squarely within the enumerated powers of Congress to regulate interstate commerce and to provide for the general welfare. Livestock diseases do not respect state boundaries, and their control and prevention directly affect the flow of agricultural products in interstate and foreign commerce. Moreover, the federal government has long exercised its spending power to support agricultural research, which is a legitimate object of the common defense and general welfare. As I noted in Federalist No. 45, the powers del…

This bill, which amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to prioritize research on emerging tick-borne livestock diseases, falls within the legitimate powers of Congress under the Constitution. The regulation of livestock diseases directly affects interstate commerce in agricultural products, as diseased animals or their products may be transported across state lines, thereby affecting trade and economic activity. The Commerce Clause grants Congress the authority to regulate such commerce, and the Necessary and Proper Clause provides the means to effectuate that power…