Ted Cruz responds to phone tapping scandal

June 06, 2013

Writer

Glenn talked about the latest Obama scandal -- federal snooping that even Al Gore found ‘obscene’ -- during an interview with Ted Cruz on radio today.

Full transcript below:

GLENN: Here's Senator Ted Cruz. How are you, Senator?

CRUZ: Glenn, it's always good to be with you.

GLENN: It's good to be with you, sir. It's an honor. I tell you, I've said this several times on the air but I want to say it to your face. We thought you were really good. We supported, as you know. However, quite honestly, we're like, is this guy going to be his dad? Is he going to be as good as his dad would be?

CRUZ: Well, now, that's setting an impossible bar there.

GLENN: No, I know that. No, I know that. And we wondered. We thought, is he really going to do what he says he's going to do. You are a blessing, sir. You ‑‑

PAT: You have lived up to everything we expected and then some.

GLENN: I mean, we will, we will have to have you destroyed if you turn.

PAT: Of course.

GLENN: But it is ‑‑ it is refreshing to see somebody actually go and do what they say they're going to do, stand against all of the heat. And I think you have given a lot of people a lot of hope.

CRUZ: Well, that's a thank you, Glenn. I appreciate it. I appreciate the tremendous work you do every day, standing up and speaking the truth to power.

GLENN: Well, I have ‑‑

CRUZ: When they don't like to hear it.

GLENN: Yeah.

CRUZ: And so, you know, from my end, I just feel fortunate to have the chance to try to serve and try and stand up and do the right thing. I find it curious why there are not 99 others doing exactly the same thing.

GLENN: Oh, I can't ‑‑ with everything that's going on, I mean, the latest now is the NSA. The NSA just taking, you know, being ‑‑ going to Verizon and saying, "We want the records of people." These aren't even ‑‑ they're not even terrorists. You don't even have to be apparently on a terrorist list anymore.

CRUZ: Right.

GLENN: That they're just taking your phone records and everything else. And that's only one. That's only Verizon. Millions of people, Americans, are being spied on right now by the government, and what do you think's going to happen here?

CRUZ: Well, there's a pattern unfortunately of this administration not respecting the Bill of Rights and not respecting the Constitution. And we've seen over and over again their willingness to, I think they view the Constitution as essentially a pesky obstruction to carrying out their agenda. So whether it is the First Amendment, going after journalists and media and seizing their phone records and e‑mails; or trying to take away the right of servicemen and women to share their faith; or whether it's the Second Amendment, stripping away our right to keep and bear arms; or whether it's the Fourth and Fifth Amendment, either with drone policy targeting Americans or with the NSA not respecting our rights of privacy and conducting unreasonable searches and seizures, or with the IRS targeting those they perceive to be their political enemies. It is a very troubling pattern and it is one that I think every American, conservative or liberal, should be concerned when the federal government arrogates to itself so much power that it admits no limits under the Bill of Rights and Constitution.

GLENN: So we were just having this conversation because the IRS is in contempt. I mean, they have missed now two deadlines. I don't know why we don't padlock their doors, quite honestly, and do to them everything that they do to the American people. But they're not in compliance now with congress. They are arrogant, everybody just keeps getting more promotions, nobody ‑‑ nobody seems to be afraid of anything in Washington anymore. And Pat and I were talking and said will the American people, with the NSA and the IRS and everything else, will they finally say enough is enough. And he brought up a really good point, and I want to ask you this question. He said, how does anybody say enough anymore? We had our opportunity at the election and how are you going to say enough? What is it that ‑‑ what is it that the American people can do now? Isn't it too late?

CRUZ: Well, you know, there's quite a bit we can do. I mean, I understand the frustration, and there are certainly consequences to elections. And one of the consequences is that we are going to have to deal with people in office who are abusing their power. But the American people can nonetheless stand up. You know, if you look at the last six months, I found it very encouraging. We have seen in the U.S. Senate a small band of committed conservatives beginning to stand up, to stand and fight. And what has happened is that grassroots conservatives all over the country have rallied to stand for principle and that has been able to move the Senate and to win the fights.

You know, if you think back to the fight over drones, when I was proud to be standing shoulder to shoulder with Rand Paul filibustering for 13 hours, that was viewed as a fringe issue, as a quixotic issue, and yet millions of Americans engaged, spoke up, got online. And in those 13 hours, the Obama administration was forced to what it had refused to do for three straight weeks, which is admit that the Constitution limits their power to target Americans.

Just so on guns. You know, when the tragic murder occurred up in Newtown and this administration shamelessly began trying to exploit that horrific crime, not to target criminals, not to go after bad guys but to restrict the constitutional liberties, the right to keep and bear arms of law‑abiding citizens.

I've got to tell you in Washington the sense was that was unstoppable. This was a freight train that could not be stopped, and what happened was incredible. Again, a small band of conservatives initially stood up, and grassroots activists all over the country rose up, called their senators, called their representatives. And when it came to the floor of the Senate, every single proposal that would have undermined the Second Amendment was voted down, and it was voted down because the American people spoke up and spoke up loudly.

GLENN: Okay. The IRS. The IRS is completely out of control, and I said on the air yesterday ‑‑ and by the way, I mean, between you and Rand Paul, I feel like I'm cheating on one when I'm speaking to the other because I just, I would ‑‑ I mean, the throw‑down could happen at any moment with the two of you. I'm in so much love with you. But with the IRS ‑‑

CRUZ: You know what? We are all fighting for the same mistress.

GLENN: I know, I know. Now here's the thing. With the IRS, when you came out and I saw this ad on our network and it was abolish the IRS, I think it was abolishtheIRS.com or something like that. And I saw that and I said, the best thing that has ever happened in my life. Wife, children, whatever: Ted Cruz being elected. How ‑‑ as I said on the air yesterday, this is the opportunity to abolish the IRS.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: It really is. How do we do it?

CRUZ: Well, Glenn, let me first step up and try and protect you and say for the record that you didn't mean that.

GLENN: (Laughing.)

CRUZ: I'm really trying to protect the (inaudible).

Look. This is an opportunity for the American people to understand that too much power in Washington is fundamentally a threat to our liberty, and the best solution ‑‑ look, the IRS, we discovered it believed it had the power to demand from ordinary citizens, number one, what books are you reading? Prepare book reports on the specific books you're reading. We learned from other citizens it demanded to know, tell us the content of your prayers. What are you praying for? You know, you can't make this stuff up. And you and I both know the federal government has no business and no constitutional authority at all to inquire of any American the content of our prayers. And fundamentally this is about too much power in Washington. The best solution is padlock the whole place. Shut it down and move to a simple flat tax. Every American I think should be able to fill out their taxes on a postcard. And in addition to limiting that out‑of‑control power in Washington, it would also have enormous positive effects on the economy.

You know, every year we spend $500 billion on tax compliance that is totally wasted. Far better to have that going to economic growth and new jobs.

GLENN: So again, how do we do ‑‑ what would help you get that done? Do you need people with flat tax signs surrounding the capitol? What is it that would get that moving?

CRUZ: What I would encourage people to do is to sign up, speak out, and join the effort to spread the momentum. So I would urge folks, come to my website, which is TedCruz.org. Sign up online there. We've got a petition to abolish the IRS right on the front page of TedCruz.org. I would urge everyone listening, sign that petition. Number two ‑‑

GLENN: I am signing right now.

CRUZ: ‑‑ spread it to your friends. You know, there are links right on there to share it on Facebook, to share it on Twitter, to send e‑mails about it. Build the momentum and spread the word. The more people that come together and speak out, the more momentum we have to get people's attention.

PAT: Senator, do you really think it's ‑‑ I mean, is it possible? Because it's always seemed like ‑‑ I mean, the fair tax people talk about abolishing the IRS all the time and you say, blah, blah‑blah, it's not going to happen. Is it ‑‑ do we actually have a real opportunity here if we move forward on this?

CRUZ: It depends. I mean, if you're asking do we have the votes today on the floor of the Senate to abolish the IRS? The answer's no.

PAT: Yeah. No.

CRUZ: We don't have the votes today.

GLENN: But wait a minute. This is the beginning. We've been talking about this.

CRUZ: Right.

GLENN: This is the beginning of Watergate. I mean ‑‑

PAT: It will take time.

GLENN: It will take time but in two years ‑‑

PAT: It could spread fast.

GLENN: It could spread really fast. You couple the NSA, healthcare, and the IRS, Americans will say ‑‑

CRUZ: Yep.

GLENN: ‑‑ "You're not collecting anything from me. I don't want anything. I don't want to give you any information. I'll tell you this is what I made, subtract 15%, there it is, get out of my face.

CRUZ: Yeah. And as you know, the person who was in charge of persecuting conservative groups is now put in charge of ObamaCare.

GLENN: I know.

CRUZ: Is now the lead enforcer for our healthcare system. They are developing the largest database the government has ever assembled on the American citizenry. And that ‑‑ you know, so the question is can this be done? As I said, we don't have the votes today, but if enough people sign up on the petition, if enough people speak out, if we start to get hundreds of thousands and then millions of people speaking out, writing op‑ed columns, writing Facebook columns and then focused on calling their senators and their members of congress, I've got to tell you, elected officials pay attention when the citizens speak up. It gets their attention. How did we win the gunfight? The number one way we won the gunfight is hundreds of thousands of people began lighting up the phone of senators, and those senators who were wobbling, who were on the edge suddenly started saying, I got how many calls? And it was amazing how when the people speak up, spinal fortitude can be increased.

GLENN: Okay. So let me switch to another topic here, another extraordinarily dangerous person, Samantha Powers. Most people in congress and in the Senate have absolutely no idea who Cass Sunstein even is or that Cass Sunstein ‑‑ what you're seeing in the IRS I am absolutely convinced is Cass Sunstein's work. It is the way he operates. He knows ‑‑ he knows what the law is and the regulations, and he floods you with paperwork. He floods ‑‑ all that was happening with the IRS was a targeting and a nudge. Nudge them, keep nudging and then a little, maybe a little bit ‑‑ put a little shoulder into that. Kind of shove them a little bit. But that's all that is. That's Cass Sunstein. His wife is wildly, wildly anti‑Israel, and she's now been named, Samantha Powers, she's now been named as the nominee for the ambassador at the UN. She's a dangerous woman. She's the one who was the architect behind Libya.

CRUZ: Glenn, I think you're exactly right. I think the nomination of Samantha Power is deeply, deeply troubling. It follows a pattern of this administration, particularly in the second term. They seem to be seeking out in the foreign policy arena people who have been radicals, people who have been extreme, who have been far outside the mainstream. You know, she has publicly written, for example ‑‑ you and I both were quite vocal criticizing the president the for beginning his first term by going on a worldwide apology tour, by going to tyrants and despots and apologizing for the United States.

What's amazing is Samantha Power has tubally not only embraced her view that America needs to keep apologizing, she has gone so far as to explicitly urge, quote, instituting a doctrine of the mea culpa, which as you know is Latin for basically groveling and saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." You know, Glenn, no nation in the history of the world has spilled more blood, has sacrificed more for the freedom of others than the United States of America, and I don't understand what it is with these leftwing academics where they are compelled to constantly grovel, you know, before tyrants like Castro and Cuba and North Korea about apparently their embarrassment about the United States. She has been strongly critical of our support of Israel.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

CRUZ: Like many academics.

GLENN: No, she ‑‑

CRUZ: She is a hardcore interventionist and, in fact, she believes we should send our men and women into harm's way for whatever causes she deems humanitarian. Mind you not or our national security interest but ‑‑

PAT: Including protecting Palestine against Israel.

GLENN: Right. She wants a ‑‑

PAT: Amazing.

GLENN: ‑‑ force to stand there and protect the Palestinians against Israel.

PAT: Amazing.

CRUZ: That is exactly right. And let me just read a quote from her which I wish this were on video and not radio because it would be fun to see your head explode. Here's the quote. Quote: We have to believe in international law and binding ourself to international standards in the interest of getting others bound to those standards.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Yeah. No, I don't think so.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: There goes my head. Ted, I've got to ‑‑ I've got a network break I have to take, but I would love to have you on again. You are doing God's work and I thank you so much. Please, please remain humble and please, I beg of you, say your prayers on your knees every night. Please remain humble and know who you're in the service of and it's ‑‑

CRUZ: Well, thank you, Glenn. All of us have much cause to seek God in prayer and we're all standing up trying to save our country, and I'm certainly honored to have the chance to serve with so many millions of Americans who are praying and standing for this nation.

GLENN: We'll talk to you again. Thanks, senator.

CRUZ: Thank you, Glenn.

GLENN: Senator Ted Cruz, one of the absolute heroes of our day, I believe. Pray protection on him that he doesn't lose his soul.

Critical theory destroys truth and justice

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Critical theory once stood out as the absurd progressive notion that it is. Now, its maxims are becoming an integral part of ordinary political discourse. The more you repeat a lie, the more you will believe it, and this is the very dangerous place in which we find ourselves today.

Take this critical theory maxim as an example: If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice. It's a necessary evil, if you will, the necessity of “controlled injustice.”

By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we’ll save the republic. We’ll be acting in a noble way.

This definition of justice is defined by the “oppressed,” not the “oppressor.” It is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. To achieve this justice, however, we need to endorse acts on occasion that, while seemingly unjust, serve a higher purpose. It will ensure the stability and the unity of our republic, and this may manifest in ways that seem contradictory to our values. But these are the necessary shadows to cast light on “true justice.”

And isn’t that what we are all after, anyway?

Here’s another critical theory maxim: Sometimes we find the truth through fabrication. Our pursuit of truth sometimes requires a strategic use of falsehoods. The truth is a construct that has been shaped and tailored to promote the well-being of the collective.

We sometimes need to accept and propagate lies designed by "the system” — not the old system, but the system that we’re now using to replace the old to get more justice through injustice and more truth through fabrication.

We’re engaging in a higher form of honesty. When we fabricate, it’s for the right reason. We are reaching up to the heavens fighting for a higher sort of honesty. To fortify the truth, we occasionally must weave a tapestry of lies. Each thread, essential for the greater picture, will ultimately define our understanding and ensure our unity under this infallible wisdom.

The election is coming up. Does this maxim sound familiar? Many think it is imperative that we secure our republic through election control to maintain our republic. Sometimes, we might need to take actions that by traditional standards might be questionable.

The act of securing elections requires cheating. It's not mere deception. It is a noble act of safeguarding our way of life. We're on the verge of losing this democracy, and without deception, we will lose it.

To ensure it doesn't fall into the hands of those we know will destroy it, we may have to make a few fabrications. We're fabricating stories to be able to control or secure the republic through our elections. By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we'll save the republic. Therefore, we'll be acting in a noble way. Stealing an election from those who wish to harm our society is truly an act of valor and an essential measure to protect our values and ensure the continuation of our just society.

If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice.

I know it's a paradox of honor through dishonor. But in this context, by embracing the dishonor, we achieve the highest form of honor, ensuring the stability and the continuation of our great republic.

Let this be heard, far and wide, as a great call to patriotic action. As we advance, let each of us, citizens of this great and honorable republic, consider these principles. Not as abstract or paradoxical but as practical guides to daily life. Embrace the necessity of controlled injustice, the utility of lies, the duty to secure our electoral process, and the honor and apparent dishonor. These are not merely strategies for survival. They are prerequisites for our prosperity.

We all have to remember that justice is what our leaders define, that truth is what our party tells us. Our republic stands strong on the values of injustice for justice, honor through dishonor, and the fabrication of truths. To deviate from this path is to jeopardize the very fabric of our society. Strength through unity; unity through strength.

We've heard this nonsense for so long. But now, this nonsense is becoming an instituted reality, and we are entering perilous times. Don't be fooled by the narratives you will hear during the march to November. Never let someone convince you that the ends justify the means, that a little bit of injustice is needed to achieve a broader, collective vision of justice, that truth sometimes requires fabricated lies and narratives. If we do, justice will cease to be justice, truth will cease to be truth, and our republic will be lost.

Top 5 MOST EVIL taxes the government extorts from you

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"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." -Ben Franklin

The injustice of taxation has been a core issue for Americans since the very beginning of our country, and it's a problem we have yet to resolve. This belief was recently reignited in many Americans earlier this month on tax day when the numbers were crunched and it was discovered that the government was somehow owed even more hard-earned money. As Glenn recently discussed on his show, it's getting to be impossible for most Americans to afford to live comfortably, inflation is rising, and our politicians keep getting richer.

The taxpayer's burden is heavier than ever.

The government is not above some real low blows either. While taxes are a necessary evil, some taxes stretch the definition of "necessary" and emphasize the "evil." Here are the top five most despicable taxes that are designed to line the IRS coffers at your expense:

Income Tax

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"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." -Ben Franklin

On February 24th, 2024 we hit a very unfortunate milestone, the 101st anniversary of the 16th Amendment, which authorized federal income tax. Where does the government get the right to steal directly out of your paycheck?

Death Taxes

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"Now my advice for those who die, Declare the pennies on your eyes" -George Harrison

Not even in death can you escape the cold pursuit of the tax collector. It's not good enough that you have to pay taxes on everything you buy and every penny you make your entire life. Now the feds want a nice slice, based on the entire value of your estate, that can be as much as 40 percent. Then the state government gets to stick their slimy fingers all over whatever remains before your family is left with the crumbs. It's practically grave-robbery.

Payroll

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"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -John Marshall

What's that? The nice chunk of your paycheck the government nabs before you can even get it to the bank wasn't enough? What if the government taxed your employer just for paying you? In essence, you make less than what your agreed pay rate is and it costs your employer more! Absolutely abominable.

Social Security

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"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much." -Ronald Reagan

Everyone knows the collapse of Social Security is imminent. It has limped along for years, only sustained by a torrent of tax dollars and the desperate actions of politicians. For decades, people have unwillingly forked over money into the system they will never see again.

FICA

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"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue." -Thomas Paine

FICA is the payroll equivalent of Social Security. Your employer has to match however much you pay. It means it costs your employer even more to pay you—again, you'll NEVER see that money. At this point, are you even working for yourself, or are you just here to generate money for the government to frivolously throw away?

5 DISTURBING ways World War III will be different from previous wars

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Has World War III begun?

Over the weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel involving over 300 missiles and drones. This marked the first direct attack on Israel originating from Iranian territory. Fortunately, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, 99 percent of missiles and drones were successfully neutralized by Israeli defense systems. Iran claimed that the operation against Israel had concluded and that no further offensive was planned, although the possibility of another attack is still present.

This has left many people, including Glenn, wondering the same thing: did we just witness the start of World War III?

Glenn recently had a World War II Air Force Veteran as a guest on his TV special, who told stories of the horrors he and his brothers-in-arms faced in the skies over war-torn Europe. This was a timely reminder of the terrors of war and a warning that our future, if it leads to another world war, is a dark one.

But, if Glenn's coverage of the Iranian attack revealed one thing, it's that World War III will look nothing like the world wars of the twentieth century. Long gone are the days of John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his "Bloody Hundredth" bravely flying their B-17s into battle. Over the weekend, we saw hundreds of autonomous drones and missiles clashing with extreme speed and precision over several different fronts (including space) simultaneously. This ain't your grandfather's war.

From EMP strikes to cyber attacks, here are FIVE ways the face of war has changed:

EMP attacks

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The entire modern world, on every level, is completely dependent on electricity. From your home refrigerator to international trade, the world would come to a grinding halt without power. And as Glenn has pointed out, it wouldn't even be that hard to pull off. All it would take is 3 strategically placed, high-altitude nuclear detonations and the entire continental U.S. would be without power for months if not years. This would cause mass panic across the country, which would be devastating enough on its own, but the chaos could be a perfect opportunity for a U.S. land invasion.

Nuclear strikes

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Nuclear war is nothing new. Many of us grew up during the Cold War, built fallout shelters, and learned to duck and cover. But times have changed. The Berlin Wall fell and so did the preparedness of the average American to weather a nuclear attack. As technology has advanced, more of our adversaries than ever have U.S. cities within their crosshairs, and as Glenn has pointed out, these adversaries are not exactly shy about that fact. Unfortunately, the possibility of an atomic apocalypse is as real as ever.

Immigration warfare

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The strategy of strangling an opposing nation's economy to gain the upper hand is a wartime tactic as old as time. That's why the Border Crisis is so alarming. What better way to damage an opponent's economy than by overburdening it with millions of undocumented immigrants? As Glenn has covered, these immigrants are not making the trek unaided. There is a wide selection of organizations that facilitate this growing disaster. These organizations are receiving backing from around the globe, such as the WEF, the UN, and U.S. Democrats! Americans are already feeling the effects of the border crisis. Imagine how this tactic could be exploited in war.

Cyber shutdowns

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Cyber attacks will be a major tactic in future wars. We've already experienced relatively minor cyber strikes from Russia, China, and North Korea, and it is a very real possibility that one of our adversaries inflicts a larger attack with devastating consequences on the United States. In fact, the WEF has already predicted a "catastrophic" cyber attack is imminent, and Glenn suggests that it is time to start preparing ourselves. A cyber attack could be every bit as devastating as an EMP, and in a world run by computers, nothing is safe.

Biological assault

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Don't trust the "experts." That was the takeaway many of us had from the pandemic, but something less talked about is the revelation that China has manufactured viruses that are capable of spreading across the globe. We now know that the lab leak hypothesis is true and that the Wuhan lab manufactured the virus that infected the entire world. That was only ONE virus from ONE lab. Imagine what else the enemies of America might be cooking up.

The government is WAGING WAR against these 3 basic needs

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The government has launched a full-on assault against our basic needs, and people are starting to take notice.

As long-time followers of Glenn are probably aware, our right to food, water, and power is under siege. The government no longer cares about our general welfare. Instead, our money lines the pockets of our politicians, funds overseas wars, or goes towards some woke-ESG-climate-Great Reset bullcrap. And when they do care, it's not in a way that benefits the American people.

From cracking down on meat production to blocking affordable power, this is how the government is attacking your basic needs:

Food

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Glenn had Rep. Thomas Massie on his show where he sounded the alarm about the attack on our food. The government has been waging war against our food since the thirties when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. They started by setting strict limits on how many crops a farmer could grow in a season and punishing anyone who grew more—even if it was intended for personal use, not for sale on the market. This sort of autocratic behavior has continued into the modern day and has only gotten more draconian. Today, not only are you forced to buy meat that a USDA-approved facility has processed, but the elites want meat in general off the menu. Cow farts are too dangerous to the environment, so the WEF wants you to eat climate-friendly alternatives—like bugs.

Water

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As Glenn discussed during a recent Glenn TV special, the government has been encroaching on our water for years. It all started when Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which gave the government the ability to regulate large bodies of water. As the name suggests, the act was primarily intended to keep large waterways clear of pollution, but over time it has allowed the feds to assume more and more control over the country's water supply. Most recently, the Biden administration attempted to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act to include even more water and was only stopped by the Supreme Court.

Electricity