The US Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. The regulation of commerce that is completely within a state is not an enumerated power of the federal government. In effect, the Interstate Commerce Commission was attempting to set the rate that the railroad could charge from Dallas to Marshall, a section of rail line completely within the borders of Texas. The issue was thus whether "Congress is impotent to control the intrastate charges of an interstate carrier" or whether Congress could go further or if it was necessary to regulate interstate commerce.