Congress provides by statute that any state that fails to prohibit automobile speeds of over 55 miles per hour on highways within the state shall be denied all federal highway construction funding. The state of Atlantic, one of the richest and most highway-oriented states in the country, refuses to enact such a statuteThe strongest argument that can be made in support of the constitutionality of this federal statute is that
the states ceded their authority over highways to the national government when the states accepted federal grants to help finance their highways. the federal government can regulate the use of state highways without limitation because the federal government paid for some of their construction costs. Congress could reasonably believe that the 55-m.p.h. speed limit will assure that the federal money spent on highways results in greater benefit than harm to the public. a recent public opinion survey demonstrated that 90 percent of the people in this country support a 55-m.p.h. speed limi