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Bernie Sanders and
the Constitution
To the Editor:
"There is a Turning Point USA meme circulating on social media of Ben Shapiro responding to Bernie Sanders's tweet where he said, "What part of the Constitution allows you to seize and redistribute wealth in the name of your utopian vision" when Bernie Sanders tweeted, "It would be a nice idea if Republicans read the Constitution."
What Ben Shapiro and the rest of the Conservative MAGA Right fails to realize is that Universal Healthcare/Medicare For All, Universal Higher Ed, Universal Basic Income, and the provisions in Build Back Better (Universal Childcare, Universal Pre-K, Affordable Housing, The Child Tax Credit, Paid Family Leave), and taxing the wealthy to pay for those programs are compatible with the US Constitution.
Article 1 (Which lays out of purpose of Congress) Section 8 states, "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general welfare of the United States, but all Duties, Imposts, Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"
We have been promoting general welfare by providing social safety nets that have catalyzed saving and improving lives throughout our nation's history. In 1935, the Social Security Act, which established the Social Security Administration, was signed into law by President FDR as one of his New Deal Programs. In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were implemented by President LBJ as two of his Great Society Programs. In 1972, the Federal Pell Grant Program was created by President Richard Nixon. None of those aforementioned policies that have yet to pass that are paramount for slashing poverty would be unconstitutional either."
Solomon Baker
Mifflintown