Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 276) to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘‘Gulf of America”, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 881) to establish Department of Homeland Security funding restrictions on institutions of higher education that have a relationship with Confucius Institutes, and for other purposes.

Enumerated powers · passes

The resolution is a procedural rule for the House of Representatives, which is within the explicit authority granted to each house to determine the rules of its proceedings under Article I, Section 5, Clause 2. The resolution does not itself exercise any substantive federal power; it merely sets the terms for debate and amendment on two bills. The underlying bills, if enacted, would need to be assessed separately, but the resolution itself is within Congress's enumerated power to structure its own legislative process.

Bill of Rights · passes · severity: minor

The resolution does not directly infringe on any of the first ten amendments. It is a procedural rule and does not restrict speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and seizure, self-incrimination, due process, takings, trial rights, jury rights, cruel and unusual punishment, unenumerated rights, or reserved powers. However, the underlying bill (H.R. 881) that the resolution facilitates could implicate the First Amendment by conditioning federal funding on the absence of relationships with Confucius Institutes, which may chill academic freedom and association. But that is not a direct effect of this resolution itself.

Individual liberty · passes

The resolution does not restrict individual action directly. It is a procedural rule for the House. The underlying funding restriction bill could affect institutions of higher education and their relationships, but that is not a direct restriction on individual sovereignty. The resolution itself does not burden individuals' person, property, speech, labor, or belief.

Decentralization · passes

This resolution is a procedural matter for the House of Representatives, which is inherently a federal legislative function. It does not consolidate decision-making at a higher level than necessary because it is the House setting its own rules. The underlying bills, however, could raise decentralization concerns: renaming a geographic feature is a federal action that could be handled by states or localities, and the funding restriction on universities could be seen as federal overreach into state-regulated education. But the resolution itself is purely procedural and does not fail the decentralization test.

Due process and takings · passes

The resolution does not bypass due process or take property. It is a procedural rule that waives points of order and limits amendments, which is a standard legislative practice. It does not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process, nor does it take private property for public use without just compensation. The underlying bills could raise due process concerns if they impose funding restrictions without adequate notice or hearing, but that is not a direct effect of this resolution.