Republicans: Obama violating Constitution, but little can be done about it

[mystery-ak]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/16/republicans-obama-is-violating-constitution-but-little-can-do/

Republicans: Obama violating Constitution, but little can be done about it
Published February 16, 2014
FoxNews.com

Washington Republicans on Sunday restated their argument that President Obama has violated the Constitution by using executive orders to alter the Affordable Care Act, but acknowledged they likely have no recourse or ability to stop another incident.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told “Fox News Sunday” that congressional Republicans think the president abused the government’s separation of powers by using the executive orders to sidestep Congress and delay the law’s employer mandate.

    “The president knows this is wrong.”

- Sen. Mike Lee

However, he said critics would have a tough time winning in court because Congress lacks the so-called “legal standing” to present the case and they would have a “tough time” finding somebody hurt enough by the delays to be a good plaintiff.

“The president knows this is wrong,” said Lee, among the most outspoken ObamaCare critics. “What gives him the ability to rewrite the law?”

Last week the president, for the second time in about seven months, delayed the employer mandate, which requires medium- and large-sized businesses to offer insurance to employers.

The original Jan. 1, 2014, start for the mandate, which requires businesses with 50 to 99 full-time employees to offer the insurance or face a tax penalty, was delayed in July for one year. On Monday, Obama delayed it until 2016.

Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., defended the president’s actions Sunday, telling “Fox News” that Obama is “making sure laws are written and executed” to help Americans.

He also said that if Obama’s actions “were against the Constitution somebody would have sued him by now.”

Obama has used executive order less than modern U.S. presidents -- 167 times so far, compared to 238 for President Carter and 256 for President Reagan.

Still, Lee called Obama’s actions “a shameless act, a shameless power grab.”

 

[Chieftain]

The "someone" who should "sue" is the US House of Representatives, who are empowered to bring articles of impeachment before the House.  If passed, then the Senate would conduct a trial to either remove or retain the President.

Since Harry Reid controls the Senate and will not even bring a Republican budget proposal up for a vote, there is exactly zero chance he would allow a trial even if the House voted to impeach Obama.  There is no sense wasting time on such a move when it is such a clear waste of time and resources.

The focus needs to be on removing Harry Reid from his position as Majority Leader by defeating as many Democrat Senators as possible in the upcoming mid-term elections.  That should be the short term goal and nothing else at this point.  Once Republicans take over the Senate and improve their majority in the House, impeachment becomes an entirely different matter.  And because of the drastic rules changes Harry Reid has insisted on in order to shield Obama, only a simple majority in the Senate is required to convict.

Hold fast.  Stay the course.  Focus on the real goal, taking back the US Senate.

[olde north church]

Plenty can be done but your testicles need to drop.

[Rapunzel]

Plenty can be done but your testicles need to drop.