More details are coming out about Billy Long's visit with a Southwest Missouri juvenile diabetes advocacy group. Long tweeted about the meeting without giving much details, and the Springfield News-Leader confirmed he met with the group, which led to some speculation about possible promises from Long to provide federal funding to the group.
Thanks to this organization's blog, we now know they did meet with Congressman Long in hopes to secure federal funding. Here's the blog entry:
Check out another meeting that was recently completed for the New Member Outreach Initiative (NMOI). This meeting highlights how programs like NMOI give JDRF advocates the opportunity to discuss the importance of continuing to federally fund research and technology that will get us to cure! Join the NMOI effort and attend a meeting of your own. It's through interaction like those noted below that allows us to help Members of Congress understand the importance of supporting a cure for diabetes!
Six JDRF advocates braved the wintry weather to meet with Representative Billy Long in his office in Springfield, MO. Tom Eubanks told Representative Long about his son, Matt, whose 20th birthday was Friday, "I don't want to think about how my son will have to deal with it (diabetes) after I'm gone." Jessica Hickok showed off her insulin pump (pod) and impressed Representative Long with the technology that is making diabetes management easier, even though it is not a cure. Diane King told the Representative that children with diabetes have to travel all the way to St. Louis or Columbia (two to three hour drive) because there aren't any pediatric endocrinologists available in the Springfield area. Overall the meeting went with Representative Long well and he is looking forward to connecting with JDRF's Government Relations office in Washington to get more information on issues related to diabetes.
JDRF Advocacy thanks Representative Billy Long for the time he spent with type 1 advocates and his willingness to learn more about issues important to us. Send Representative Long a thank you message on Twitter or Facebook.
Now since they are thanking Congressman Long, one has to suspect that Long wasn't a good steward of your tax dollars as he promised to be with his 'fed up' campaign commercials. It doesn't appear that Congressman Long pulled out his "rode hard and put up wet" pocket Constitution, turned the pages to Article One Section Eight, and state to these six people who braved the weather that he has no Constitutional authority to appropriate his constituents money for charitable organizations. We have a story from early in our Republic's history that reinforces this as James Madison, the father of the Constitution, scolded Congress for their attempts to give federal charity.
In 1794, six years after the ratification of the US Constitution, our Congress already began stretching the limits of their power. Congress appropriated $15,000 to help French refugees who fled from rebellion in San Domingo to Baltimore and Philadelphia. James Madison stood up and addressed the Congress. His words powerful--full of Constitutional wisdom, mainly that it's not the job of the federal government to provide welfare or charity.
"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."
That's what Long should have told these people as our country is now over $14 trillion in debt, but considering their appreciation of Long's time and their continued optimism for federal funding, it appears 'fed up' Billy Long didn't have the courage to state to these people not one enumerated power gives him the authority to give them one dime.
Isn't that ironic on the week that Billy Long votes to defund Planned Parenthood, an organization that could make similar arguments about the benefits of federal funding. Long's vote was correct to defund Planned Parenthood, but he should also have left that meeting providing this organization with that same truth he delivered to Planned Parenthood.
A message to the Juvenile Diabetes organization in Springfield:
Billy Long has no Constitutional authority, nor does any Congressman (Article One Section Eight), to provide any federal funding to your cause. Rather than beg for federal tax dollars, considering our $14 trillion debt, you should engage in encouraging charitable hearts to making donations on their own free will.
If Long promised you he would help, he is in clear violation of the United States Constitution, because there is not an enumerated power--even general welfare (see Federalist 41)--that gives him the authority to promise you anything. I am not trying to discount the pain your families have felt from this affliction, but there comes a time when we must realize we can no longer afford the federal government funding charities.
When tax dollars are consumed at a rate from hard working Americans so they can no longer afford to donate generously as the federal government goes bust, then what are you going to do? This is the reality we face, and a million here to this charity and a million there to another charity is only reinforcing this day that is to come where we all become slaves to the national debt. Billy Long says we can't afford Obamacare, well we can't continue to federally fund charities either. This is just a fact of living in the United States these days.
