It’s there: the “provide for… the general welfare” language of the first sentence of Article I Section 8 is very general and allows Congress to legislate pretty much anything that is not prohibited by other sections of the constitution. And legislation passed by Congress over the years seems to have authorized the executive branch to do stuff like vaccine mandates.
There is a defensible argument that the rather wooly language of the ninth and tenth amendments will stop some elements of the vaccine mandate, at least for employers who do no business across states lines. (If you’re doing business across state lines, clause 3 of section 8 clearly gives the federal government this power).
And of course Congress has the power to stop the whole thing in its tracks, just by passing legislation that removes the authority it granted to the executive branch in this area.
It’s there: the “provide for… the general welfare” language of the first sentence of Article I Section 8 is very general and allows Congress to legislate pretty much anything that is not prohibited by other sections of the constitution. And legislation passed by Congress over the years seems to have authorized the executive branch to do stuff like vaccine mandates.
There is a defensible argument that the rather wooly language of the ninth and tenth amendments will stop some elements of the vaccine mandate, at least for employers who do no business across states lines. (If you’re doing business across state lines, clause 3 of section 8 clearly gives the federal government this power).
And of course Congress has the power to stop the whole thing in its tracks, just by passing legislation that removes the authority it granted to the executive branch in this area.