Show Notes

In episode 27, Jason discusses Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution which deals with the passing of bills and resolutions in Congress. This will be part 1 of 2 on this section of the Constitution. He is joined by long-time friend, patriot, and fellow West Point grad, Glen Whitner. The duo discuss identifying the distinction between “revenue raising” bills and all other bills. Also raised is the question: is America still an “experiment”?

• U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7, Clause 1
• [1]“All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.”
• Records of the Federal Convention (see vol 1, vol 2, vol 3).

• Yates’ notes in the Constitutional Convention:
  • “Mr. Gerry moved that the first branch shall have the only right of originating bills to supply the treasury.”
  • First branch in this context was the House of Representatives.
• Elbridge Gerry comments on the Constitutional Convention:
  • “The [House of Representatives] was more immediately the representatives of the people, and it was a maxim that the people ought to hold the purse-strings.” 
• General Pinckney comments in the Constitutional Convention:
  • “The constitution is now evaded, by informal schedules of amendments handed (from ye. Senate to the other House.)”
• Col. George Mason comments in the Constitutional Convention:
  • “Should the [Senate] have the power of giving away the people’s money, they might soon forget the Source from whence they received it.”
• Gouveneur Morris comments to the Constitutional Convention:
  • “It will always leave a plea as to an obnoxious money bill that it was disliked, but could not be constitutionally amended; nor safely rejected.”
  • As the proposal stood at the time, the senate could not even make amendments to House bills on raising revenue