not in the constitution, answer is no

period

How about leave it to the states to deal with their own infrastructure?

Ok.

Whatever.

It's like people see the Constitution, but we've been conditioned to just ignore the words and defer everything to the federal level.

Either the document matters and should be enforced as written or fuck it

Um. What.

If something isn't specifically delegated to the federal level, it is the states' business

I don’t think aggregating data is the same as infringing on people’s rights or creating a massive welfare bureaucracy

no one ever does

It starts at aggregating data and ends at aggregating data.

no one ever expands the federal authority thinking it will be a bad thing

interstate commerce did not start and end with interstate commerce

But this isn’t inherently an authority thing.

medical privacy did not start and end with medical privacy

The EIA has no regulatory power.

And it collects data.

Egads.

The FERC has authority.

Well, if the data doesn't exist for said federal database, then the next thing you know, they'll be commissioning a national study to create the data to accumulate. All I'm trying to say is that the states should be the ones to decide if commissioning said studies is necessary

^^^

They always find a way to maintain and expand

always

No one in DC works for free. You're talking about adding on more payroll, taxpayer funded payroll, for a role the government doesn't not have

Oy vey.

any private institution can gather information and present it

water reports go out publicly every year

Sort of.

I've got one on my nightstand right now

Just another pet project in a massive budget that adds to our 23 trillion dollar debt

Ah NOW we have a *"strict Constitutionalist."* I trust he has a copy of *"Sovereign Citizen"* in his wallet. 🙄

Oh please. Practically all the government debt is from welfare programs or some military spending. All Government research is barely a drop in the bucket.

the welfare can go too

I consider any non-essential project on the federal level to be welfare to the government

yup

jobs programs

I want a smaller fucking government

You can do that without embracing theoretical methodology.

You can have a smaller government that also aggregates data.

I'll tell you what. When the feds manage to balance their fucking budgets, they can fit this project into it