Does a faithful reading of the Commerce Clause give the Fed. government authority to dictate a minimum wage?

Question

By any faithful reading of the Constitution and the Federalist Papers, the power to "regulate commerce among the several states" strictly focused on trade and exchange between the states.

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a1_8_3_commerces9.html
http://lawreview.uchicago.edu/issues/archive/v68/winter/commerce.html
http://www.bu.edu/rbarnett/Original.htm

I am saddened that the liberals, given an opportunity to actually argue logically and rationally their position, have chosen to use emotional outburst and ad hominem attacks so far.

g.d.*****: I fail to see how my question has anything to do with Congress' votes on its own compensation or the deregulation of the S&L industry or WMD. Can you perhaps put the crack pipe down and focus here? I asked a very narrowly focused question here, attacking no party. You're a tool.

Answer 1

Who cares who authorized it...without it more people would be on welfare as it wouldn't pay to go to work. Then they would take even more outa my check. I think minimum wage should be $12.00 ph.

Answer 2

Dear turboweenie
I guess its ok that the GOP congress gave themselves 3 raises over the last 12 years while not raising the min wage once tho.
A job where they had full medical coverage, great pension and a million perks and they still needed to raise their salary but they wouldnt make the minimum wage higher then welfare.
BTW the last time they raised the min wage unemployment dropped 20% despite the shrieking of the GOP
And speaking of regulating commerce how did you like the great GOP idea of deregulating the savings and loans during the 80's
that debacle only cost taxpayers about 500 billion dollars
AND in your source articles Madison refers to the confederacy of states these writings are pre constitution and out of context.
I bet you still think were lookin for WMD's

Answer 3

OMG! No, the Commerce clause grants no authority whatsoever to the United States Government to dictate a minimum wage.

Actually, America would be better off by outlawing the minimum wage laws and promoting a Constitutional Amendment that guarantees collective bargaining rights. Then we could do away with many labor laws because the Constitutional outweighes law any day of the week.

Let people learn to negotiate for themselves and stand up for themselves instead of solely relying on government to do it for them.

Answer 4

A good portion of Min wage earners are Bar tenders and waitresses that really make money on tips anyway. Another group are kids that Live at home and just use the money for extra cash. Very Few have to Live on it exclusivley. It is a great Liberal myth and talking point. Yea Johnny's dad is a Doctor and His Mom an Acountant and he works at Wendy's at min Wage makes me all weepy when he spends his hard earned money on gas for his new M series Sports car............

Answer 5

No it doesn't.Congress can do just about anything it wants,but it has to be careful ,in a capitalistic form of government ,which we have,prices of goods and services are a result of supply and demand.It's what a willing buyer will pay to a willing seller.It's also what a willing employee will accept from a willing employer.The minimum wage should be abbolished.Let a free market economy be free to establish wages.

Answer 6

"Not improbably terminate in serious interruptions of the public tranquility"

The Founders' Constitution
22 January, 1788
Volume 2. Article 1. Section 8. Clause 3
(Commerce) Document 9


I'm clear about it......guess Nancy and Harry are not