President fails to execute law
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December 7, 2013 |
By Congressman Raul Labrador
This week, I participated in a Judiciary
Committee hearing about the President’s failure
to fulfill his most basic Constitution duty – to
“faithfully execute the law.”
In the last few months, the President has
refused to faithfully execute certain laws,
including key portions of Obamacare. In
addition, he has waived federal work
requirements for welfare and made appointments
to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
without the advice and consent of the Senate.
This is a very serious issue because, under
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, the
President has the duty to “take care that the
laws be faithfully executed.”
The Constitution does not delegate legislative
authority to the President to rewrite, amend, or
delay duly-enacted Constitutional laws. Only
Congress can do that.
The President assumed legislative authority when
he delayed the employer mandate under Obamacare
and extended the grandfather clause to insurance
plans not covered under the law. He even
threatened to veto lawful statutory change
proposed by the House, even though it was the
same change he instituted with his executive
decision.
In the case of the NLRB, the President made
three appointments to the Board, arguing they
were recess appointments and therefore
constitutional. However, earlier this year, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia disagreed and unanimously ruled that
the appointments were unconstitutional. Even so,
the President is still working to circumvent the
law.
The President has a Constitutional
responsibility to enforce all of America’s laws,
not pick and choose which ones he wishes to
enforce.
This week’s Judiciary Committee hearing brought
much-needed attention to the President’s failure
to execute the law, including his overreach of
executive authority.
I will continue to insist that the President act
within the Constitutional limits of his office
and enforce the laws passed by Congress.
I am a cosponsor of a resolution, H Res. 425,
that disapproves of the President’s failure to
fulfill his Constitutional duties and his
usurpation of Congress’ legislative authority.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Ron DeSantis
(R-FL) also reaffirms the preservation of the
separation of powers and its essential role in
maintaining the rule of law and protecting our
individual liberties.
George Washington once said, “It is my duty to
see the laws executed: to permit them to be
trampled with impunity would be repugnant.” I
agree. We, in Congress, have an obligation – as
representatives of the people, and as members of
a co-equal branch of government – to respond to
the President’s overreach of power and reverse
it.
This is an issue that all Idahoans can unite
behind, and I will continue to be a leader in
this effort. |
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