" the "general welfare" clause "
It says PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE.
Polititions can stand on a soapbox all day every day and scream and holler, that's called promoting.
There is nothing about PROMOTE that implies spending one cent on anything!
As far as I'm concerned, every social program in the federal government including SS and Medicare are illegal and unconstitutional!
I agree with you, and disagree with those who think that the "general welfare" clause empowers the government to take anything and do anything it wants. Federalist Paper #41 argues that proximity to the listing of the powers of the federal government would preclude outrageous misinterpretations of what counts as "promoting the general welfare."