The Constitution is clear- Congress has the duty to write laws and, once they are enacted, it is the President’s responsibility to enforce the laws. Article II, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution declares that the President “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” However, President Obama has failed on multiple occasions to enforce acts of Congress that he disagrees with. President Obama has also stretched his regulatory authority to put in place policies that are too extreme to get through Congress.
The President’s executive overreach is accelerating at an alarming rate. Examples of President Obama’s failure to execute laws include:
- Delaying the ObamaCare individual mandate for special interests;
- Refusing to enforce federal immigration laws;
- Ignoring welfare work requirements, a clear violation of the 1996 welfare reform law;
- Failing to enforce federal drug laws
This week the House of Representatives acted to reign in the Obama administration’s executive overreach. The House passed the Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law Act or ENFORCE the Law Act to restore balance to the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution. The ENFORCE the Law Act allows the House or the Senate to authorize a lawsuit against the Executive Branch for failure to execute the laws. This legislation also provides for expedited consideration of the claim so that the courts cannot stall the lawsuit.
Additionally, the House passed the Faithful Execution of the Law Act to strengthen current laws and to ensure that all federal executive officials fully execute the laws on the books. The Faithful Execution of the Law Act promotes transparency and honesty by requiring all federal executive officials who are not enforcing federal law to report to Congress on their reasoning for non-enforcement.
It is a shame that Congress has to pass laws requiring the Executive Branch of our government to follow the Constitution. However, the Obama Administration has failed time and time again to uphold Article II, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution that says the President “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to hold the Obama Administration accountable and restore the balance of power outlined in the Constitution.
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