Search and Ask VFA

46 results for “war powers”

1. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 14, 2026

   H.R. 7890: Science of Reading Act of 2026

   …bill's prescriptive definition may push the boundaries of federal influence, warranting a grade of B rather than A. Congress has the power to tax and spend for the general welfare under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1. The bill operates…

2. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade C (Significant issues) · Oct 14, 2026

   H.R. 10436: Reaching English Learners Act

   …individual rights, its structural overreach and lack of enumerated authority warrant a grade of C. The federal government has no enumerated power to regulate or fund education. Article I, Section 8 lists specific powers, and education is…

3. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade C (Significant issues) · Oct 14, 2026

   H.R. 10451: Emergency Grant Aid for College Students Act

   …combined with the centralization of decision-making at the federal level, warrant a grade of C. The bill does not directly infringe on individual rights, but it does consolidate authority over education, which is a significant structural…

4. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade C (Significant issues) · Oct 11, 2026

   H.R. 1810: Safe Schools Improvement Act

   …Rights, but its potential to compel speech or restrict local decision-making warrants a structural rewrite to better align with constitutional principles of federalism and enumerated powers. The federal government's authority over…

5. VFA SI Solution · SI Solution responding to S. 5046 · Aug 04, 2026

   Education Agency Stability and Congressional Oversight Act of 2025

   …subject to prior congressional approval, thereby preserving the separation of powers and giving the people's representatives a voice in major structural changes to federal education policy. Section 3. Definition. 'Core function' means any…

6. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 14, 2026

   H.R. 10232: To prohibit the transfer of certain offices and functions of the Department of Education to other Federal agencies, and for other purposes.

   …bill's reporting requirements are reasonable and within Congress's oversight powers. Congress has broad authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (the Necessary and Proper Clause) to make laws that are necessary and proper for…

7. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade C (Significant issues) · Oct 10, 2026

   H.R. 1069: PROTECT Our Kids Act

   …of the condition. Therefore, the bill likely exceeds Congress's enumerated powers. The bill penalizes schools for having partnerships with Chinese government-backed cultural institutes (e.g., Confucius Institutes). This implicates the…

8. VFA SI Solution · SI Solution responding to H.R. 10672 · Oct 18, 2026

   Federal-State Community College Promise Partnership Act

   Make community college free for resident students and lower early college costs for low-income students, while improving high school standards, transfer paths, and student completion. Congress has power to spend for the general welfare,…

9. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade F (Direct violation) · Oct 14, 2026

   H.R. 10277: Access to School Supplies Act of 2026

   …is a direct violation of the Tenth Amendment and the principle of enumerated powers. The federal government has no constitutional authority to fund the purchase of school supplies, an activity reserved to the states and local communities…

10. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade D (Likely unconstitutional) · Oct 09, 2026

    H.R. 1005: Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act

    …on federal education funding that likely exceed Congress's enumerated powers under the Spending Clause, infringe on state and local control of education in violation of the Tenth Amendment, and restrict individual sovereignty by compelling…

11. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade D (Likely unconstitutional) · Oct 14, 2026

    H.R. 10202: High School Voter Empowerment Act of 2026

    …federal voter registration policy, and it exceeds Congress's enumerated powers by conditioning education funding on the performance of voter registration activities. While voter registration is a legitimate state function, the federal…

12. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 14, 2026

    S. 5046: A bill to prohibit the transfer of certain offices and functions of the Department of Education to other Federal agencies, and for other purposes.

    …bureaucracy. It does not create new federal authority or expand existing powers. The bill does not implicate any of the first ten amendments. It does not restrict speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and…

13. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 14, 2026

    H.Res. 1518: Expressing support for the designation of September 2026 as National Campus Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

    …expressing its views, which is a customary exercise of its legislative powers under Article I, Section 1. It does not rely on any specific enumerated power because it imposes no obligations and has no legal effect. The resolution does not…

14. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 14, 2026

    H.Res. 1559: Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning on September 14, 2026, as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week".

    …expression of support, which is a customary exercise of Congress's legislative powers under Article I, Section 1. It does not purport to regulate commerce, tax, or exercise any enumerated power in a substantive way. As a purely ceremonial…

15. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 13, 2026

    S. 3627: Pregnant Students’ Rights Act

    …variation would be more appropriate. The Tenth Amendment reserves to states powers not delegated to the federal government, and while the spending power allows conditions, this condition is not closely related to the purpose of student…

16. VFA SI Solution · SI Solution responding to H.R. 10436 · Oct 16, 2026

    Reaching English Learners Teacher Preparation Grants With Caps and Sunset

    Help more new teachers learn how to teach students who are learning English, especially in high-need schools and early learning programs. Congress can fund voluntary teacher training under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1, but the Tenth…

17. VFA SI Solution · SI Solution responding to H.R. 10661 · Oct 18, 2026

    Fair Start College Access and Campus Safety Act

    …contents of college admission applications raises Tenth Amendment and limited-powers concerns because education and admissions are primarily state, local, and private matters. Any federal condition tied to funds must be clear, voluntary,…

18. VFA SI Solution · SI Solution responding to H.J.Res. 208 · Aug 05, 2026

    Educational Opportunity and Accountability Act of 2025

    …amendment would expand federal power beyond Article I, Section 8 enumerated powers, potentially violating the Tenth Amendment by mandating state action in a domain traditionally reserved to the states. The amendment's vague language…

19. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade C (Significant issues) · Oct 14, 2026

    H.R. 7994: HERO Act

    The HERO Act establishes a federal grant program for opioid overdose reversal drugs in schools and imposes reporting requirements on recipients. While the spending power under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 authorizes conditional grants,…

20. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 14, 2026

    S. 5317: INSPIRES Act

    The INSPIRES Act is a federal grant program for education facilities, which falls under the spending power and is generally constitutional. However, it raises minor concerns about federal involvement in areas traditionally reserved to…