In '''''United States v. Bass''''', 404 U.S. 336, 349 (1971), the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] strengthened principles of [[federalism]] by declaring that:
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:Unless [[Congress]] conveys its purpose clearly, it will not be deemed to have significantly changed the federal-state balance.
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The [[Court]] relied on [[Congress]]' failure to make a clear statement of its intention to alter the federal-[[state]] balance, in order to construe an ambiguous firearm-possession [[statute]] to apply only to [[firearms]] affecting [[commerce]]. ''Id.'' at 349-50.