But back in the seventies and eighties, Ice was an enthusiastic follower of Christian Reconstructionism and, upon leaving the movement, wrote Dominion Theology Blessing or Curse?. He devotes one chapter to the following question: What Would A Reconstructed America Be Like?  Christian Reconstructionists, Ice claims, limit the role of the federal government to only four "legitimate functions." They are:

restraining civil evil,
punishing evil,
protecting the law-abiding,
and defending the nation.

Restraining, punishing, protecting and defending. That's it! Each one of the four "legitimate functions" deserves a lengthy discussion, but instead, we are going to look at what's missing from this list. The Texas 2004 Republican Party Platform spelled it out. The platform called for abolishing:

the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, the position of Surgeon General, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce and Labor. We also call for the de-funding or abolition of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Public Broadcasting System. p 19

Now for the new hot-off-the-press Texas 2006 GOP Platform The language changes and the strategy becomes sharper. They don't line-up all of those agencies for the chopping block. They'll just cut them down in one fell swoop. The new platform simply reads under "Downsizing the federal government":

We further support the abolition of federal agencies not involved in activities not delegated to the federal government under the original intent of the Constitution. p 23

What does "the original intent of the Constitution" mean? It begins to come into focus further down on page 23 under "Sunset Laws:"

We support a mandatory sunset law for the State of Texas that would automatically terminate all agencies or programs if they are not re-enacted by the legislature every ten years. We also support the establishment of a sunset policy for federal agencies patterned after the Texas Sunset Law.

So every federal agency and program would be terminated unless re-enacted by the legislature every ten years. Whoa! In a country so polarized, what are the chances that Congress will agree to each federal agency and program every ten years? Basically none.

Back to the legislation currently under consideration::

GOP congressional leaders may bring to a vote within weeks a proposal that could literally wipe out any federal program that protects public health or the environment--or for that matter civil rights, poverty programs, auto safety, education, affordable housing, Head Start, workplace safety or any other activity targeted by anti-regulatory forces.
With strong support from the Bush White House and the Republican Study Committee, the proposal would create a "sunset commission"--an unelected body with the power to recommend whether a program lives or dies, and then move its recommendations through Congress on a fast-track basis with limited debate and no amendments.