McCulloch v Maryland: Implied Powers
Students sometimes think McCulloch means Congress can do anything it wants by invoking the Necessary and Proper Clause. That is wrong. The Necessary and Proper Clause only grants implied powers in service of an enumerated power. Congress must identify which enumerated power (like regulating commerce or collecting taxes) it is exercising, and the implied power must be rationally related to that goal. In United States v. Lopez (1995), the Court struck down a federal law banning guns near schools because Congress could not show a sufficient connection to interstate commerce. The Necessary and Proper Clause expands federal power, but it does not eliminate the requirement that federal laws trace to an enumerated power.
McCulloch v Maryland: Implied Powers
Students sometimes think McCulloch means Congress can do anything it wants by invoking the Necessary and Proper Clause. That is wrong. The Necessary and Proper Clause only grants implied powers in service of an enumerated power. Congress must identify which enumerated power (like regulating commerce or collecting taxes) it is exercising, and the implied power must be rationally related to that goal. In United States v. Lopez (1995), the Court struck down a federal law banning guns near schools because Congress could not show a sufficient connection to interstate commerce. The Necessary and Proper Clause expands federal power, but it does not eliminate the requirement that federal laws trace to an enumerated power.
McCulloch v Maryland: Implied Powers
Students sometimes think McCulloch means Congress can do anything it wants by invoking the Necessary and Proper Clause. That is wrong. The Necessary and Proper Clause only grants implied powers in service of an enumerated power. Congress must identify which enumerated power (like regulating commerce or collecting taxes) it is exercising, and the implied power must be rationally related to that goal. In United States v. Lopez (1995), the Court struck down a federal law banning guns near schools because Congress could not show a sufficient connection to interstate commerce. The Necessary and Proper Clause expands federal power, but it does not eliminate the requirement that federal laws trace to an enumerated power.