Last week, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden and his newly announced running mate Kamala Harris made an announcement that left many Americans scratching their heads.
Biden and Harris called for a nationwide mask mandate that would force all Americans -- no matter their location -- to wear a mask whenever they're out of the house over the next three months.
"Every single American should be wearing a mask when they're outside for the next three months, at a minimum. Every governor should mandate mandatory mask-wearing," Biden said, suggesting that widespread mask use could save 40,000 lives over the next three months. "Let's institute a mask mandate nationwide starting immediately, and we will save lives."
Pundits and talking heads were quick to point out that Biden wouldn't actually have that power as President of the United States. Only state governments can issue those kinds of mandates, and even then they're constitutionally dubious.
However, Biden could impose such a mandate using the same technique the federal government uses to force all federal policy down the throats of state residents.
Here's how it works.
- Take money from state residents through federal taxes.
- Offer to give that money back to the states.
- Condition that offer on the states implementing certain federal policies.
- States governments become little more than remote federal offices.
Especially in these uncertain times, Biden and others could simply condition COVID-19 aid on mask mandates. If a state governor refuses to impose such a mandate, their people won't receive federal funding and the state as a whole will suffer.
This is exactly the kind of under-the-table federal overreach our founders warned us about, and they gave us a way to fight back in Article V of the Constitution.
Article V allows the people and the states to propose constitutional amendments that limit federal power. These amendments can limit all areas of federal power -- including Washington's ability to hold a state's money ransom in exchange for top-down federal policies.
The American people have been bullied by bureaucrats in Washington for long enough. It's time to take back control of their state governments, and they can do it with an Article V Convention of States.
Sign the petition below to get involved!