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And I have to say, I agree with some of the criticisms that some have made about that state program which allocates the grant money on a very rigid formula all across the country, with a certain percentage to each state.

The Constitution grants only Congress - not the president - the power 'to borrow money on the credit of the United States.'

Accepting federal funding undermines state sovereignty as states become beholden to federal requirements in order to keep the money flowing.

Nothing can be clearer than that what the Constitution intended to guard against was the exercise by the general government of the power of directly taxing persons and property within any State through a majority made up from the other States.

It is unfortunately none too well understood that, just as the State has no money of its own, so it has no power of its own.

States, virtually all of them, have a constitutional requirement to operate on a balanced budget.

I believe the two biggest mistakes made by the Founders were giving Federal judges life-time appointments and permitting them to be confirmed without the agreement of two-thirds of the members of the United States Senate.

Whether you are from Minnesota, Wisconsin or any other Northern tier state, you are not going to like the reimbursement formula. The problem we face is that we wouldn't have that formula if a majority of the states didn't like it, and they have the majority of the votes.

The state of Alaska has a minimum wage which is higher than the federal level because our state leaders have made that determination.