Search and Ask VFA

193 results for “war powers”

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

   H.R. 506: Security First Act

   …arms, or quartering. It does not authorize searches or seizures without warrant or probable cause (Fourth Amendment) — the seizure provision applies to unreported monetary instruments at the border, where the border search exception…

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

   H.R. 1786: Harmful Algal Bloom Disaster Relief Act

   …The bill lacks clear standards for what constitutes 'damage sufficient to warrant federal major disaster assistance.' This vague delegation to the President could lead to arbitrary or discriminatory application, violating substantive due…

3. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 11, 2026

   H.R. 1777: SECURE Notarization Act of 2025

   …has access to the recordings or how they are protected, raising concerns about warrantless surveillance. Additionally, the bill's requirement that states recognize out-of-state notarizations could be seen as infringing on the Tenth…

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

   H.R. 1828: School Bus Safety Act of 2025

   …where local variation is appropriate. This fails at least two questions, warranting a C grade. The bill does not bypass due process or take property without just compensation. It imposes prospective regulations, which are subject to the…

5. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 10, 2026

   H.R. 1919: Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act

   …digital currency that could track individual financial transactions without a warrant. It does not restrict speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, self-incrimination, due process, takings, trial rights, or cruel and…

6. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 09, 2026

   H.R. 2683: Remote Access Security Act

   …precedent. The bill does not violate the Bill of Rights, though its breadth warrants careful application to avoid overreach. Decentralization is appropriate because export controls are inherently federal. Due process concerns are minor and…

7. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 08, 2026

   S. 254: ARTIST Act

   …Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment Section 1. No criminal penalty, no warrantless seizure, no presumption-of-guilt regime, and no taking of private property for public use. The law protects existing property and livelihood interests…

8. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade C (Significant issues) · Oct 08, 2026

   H.R. 7148: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026

   …does not on its face direct censorship, religious establishment, disarmament, warrantless search, compelled testimony, unfair trial, or cruel punishment. No provision described authorizes speech suppression under the First Amendment,…

9. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 08, 2026

   Executive Order 14265: Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base

   …lower level. (1) Individuals and families cannot procure and sustain national warfighting capabilities. (2) Local communities and counties cannot manage major defense acquisition programs. (3) States cannot provide for the common national…

10. VFA SI Solution · SI Solution responding to S. 4782 · Jun 17, 2026

    Interstate Scam Coordination and Consumer Alert Act of 2025

    …protecting consumers from fraud, ensuring vulnerable populations are warned, and transparent oversight. Honors Republican priorities: narrow federal scope (no preemption of state laws), sunset provision, capped funding from existing…

11. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 08, 2026

    Executive Order 14249: Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

    …matching, constrained by lawfulness provisos and exclusion of sensitive data, warranting safeguards rather than invalidation. Federal fiscal stewardship is expressly authorized. Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 authorizes collection,…

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

    S.J.Res. 138: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Government of Israel of certain defense articles and services.

    …nations, and Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 grants the power to declare war, which includes oversight of military sales. Additionally, the President's foreign military sales are subject to congressional approval under the Arms Export…

13. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 11, 2026

    H.J.Res. 68: Providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to Israel of certain defense articles and services.

    …Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 grants Congress the power to declare war, and the regulation of arms sales to foreign nations falls within the broader scope of national defense and foreign policy. The joint resolution is a legislative act…

14. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 11, 2026

    H.R. 1875: Medicaid Provider Screening Accountability Act

    …at the federal level and imposes ongoing compliance burdens on states, warranting a 'B' grade for minor constitutional tension. Congress has authority under the Spending Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) to attach conditions to…

15. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 10, 2026

    H.R. 884: To prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022.

    …the principle of decentralization. The bill is likely constitutional but warrants careful consideration of the District's autonomy. Congress has plenary authority over the District of Columbia under Article I, Section 8, Clause 17, which…

16. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 08, 2026

    S. 2393: Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act

    Authorizing a VA hospital project in St. Louis is a core exercise of Congress war powers and spending authority with no rights infringement, no taking, and no improper centralization. Congress has explicit authority to raise and support…

17. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade B (Mostly sound) · Oct 08, 2026

    H.R. 8312: Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act

    …data sharing requires privacy safeguards, but no direct rights violation, warranting a B. Congress has explicit authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 to lay and collect taxes and provide for the general welfare through spending,…

18. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 08, 2026

    H.R. 8469: Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes.

    …supporting National Guard construction. Veterans care follows from the war and military powers plus the Necessary and Proper Clause in Clause 18. The bill makes no restriction on speech, religion, press, assembly, arms, searches, trial…

19. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 08, 2026

    H.R. 8595: Making appropriations for national security, Department of State, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes.

    …funds for domestic speech suppression, religious establishment, disarmament, warrantless search, compelled testimony, unfair trial, or punishment. The bill funds foreign-affairs administration, commissions, and economic assistance. No…

20. Constitution Index grade · Constitution grade A (Constitutional) · Oct 08, 2026

    H.R. 8800: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

    …11, 12, 13, 14, and 18, including power to provide for common defence, declare war, raise and support armies, provide and maintain a navy, regulate land and naval forces, and make laws necessary and proper for execution thereof. Annual…