Do-Nothing Congress Sues President For Doing Too Much
AUTHOR: GLORIA CHRISTIE JULY 31, 2014 6:05 PM
Watching Congress is like watching a dysfunctional restaurant. The first guy is working his butt off frying your hamburger. Then the waiter meanders by with his earphone on. So the cook calls the waiter over and hands him our meal. Old do-nothing drops the plates. Not once but over and over. We leave, but in the background we can hear the waiter shouting,
“I’m gonna sue you for wanting me to work!”
And the House has done just that. They are the most do-nothing Congress in history. With yet another month’s vacation looming over them, do they address the problem of refugee children or military members needing immediate health care or extend unemployment benefits? Oh no. They withdrew their immigration bill that would have given the President enough money to house the children. They spend those last precious moments discussing their resolution to sue the President. Wow.
The Republicans intend to make history in a fight over “constitutional checks and balances.” Hyper-partisanship has led the House into this unexplored and unparalleled terrain.
In a controversial move the House passed a resolution 225-201 along party lines authorizing itself to bring a lawsuit against Obama who just happens to be a constitutional attorney. Doesn’t seem like a very wise move, does it?
House Minority Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) spoke from the floor about how she rejected pressure to impeach George W. Bush. She wondered about the House spending time on this ill-conceived lawsuit resolution,
“It is yet another Republican effort to pander to the most radical right-wing voters at taxpayers’ expense.
House Democrats used some of the time allotted for debate to press Republicans instead to allow votes on various proposals they say would boost the middle class.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said frequently,
“We have no plans to impeach the president. We have no future plans. Listen, it’s all a scam, started by Democrats at the White House.
After the vote National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden released a statement,
“President Obama swore an oath to uphold the Constitution—an oath he has not fully lived up to. Today, the House took an important step to defend the Constitution and hold the president accountable.”
In an email, Dan Pfeiffer White House adviser said,
“The House of Representatives just took a vote — and it wasn’t to raise the minimum wage, put in place equal pay, create jobs, or reform our broken immigration system. Instead, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives just voted to sue the President for using his executive authority. This lawsuit will waste valuable time and potentially millions of taxpayer dollars.”
Republicans believe they are in the right, because they claim Obama hasn’t executed the laws. They say he has taken too much power from Congress into the Oval Office. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo. said,
“The people’s representatives will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness of this president. We will do whatever it takes to hold him and future occupants of the Oval Office accountable.”
The Republicans are quick to note what the President said early this year, “with or without Congress” using his “pen and the phone.”
“Such a shift in power should alarm members of both political parties because it threatens the very institution of the Congress.”
Republicans say there are other examples of Obama exceeding his powers.
These include failing to notify Congress in advance when he traded five Taliban members held at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the captive Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, and unilaterally preventing the deportation of some children who illegally immigrated to the U.S.
They also point to Obama’s comments in January that 2014 would be a “year of action” to implement his priorities, which he said he would do “with or without Congress” by using his “pen and the phone.”
President Obama seemed almost pleased with the do-nothing Congress’ latest action of suing him during an economic speech in Kansas City, Miss.,
“They’re going to sue me for taking executive actions to help people. So they’re mad I’m doing my job. And by the way, I’ve told them I’d be happy to do it with you. The only reason I’m doing it on my own is because you’re (Congress) not doing anything.”