Demanding respect for the U.S. Constitution

“I taught Constitutional law for ten years. I take the Constitution very seriously. The biggest problems that we’re facing right now have to do with [President] George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not going through Congress at all. And that’s what I intend to reverse when I’m president of the United States of America.”

You’re probably asking yourself, who said this? Then-Senator Barack Obama said those very words during a 2008 campaign event. He promised the American people time and time again that he would faithfully execute our laws and abide by the U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately, the reality of his presidency paints a far different picture.

From ObamaCare to rolling back 1996 welfare reforms to immigration, the Obama administration is consistently cherry-picking which laws to enforce and which to ignore. Below are only a few of the most notable examples where the administration modified, without statutory authority, provision in ObamaCare.

Illegal waivers of the employer mandate: In July 2013, the administration unilaterally delayed the penalties associated with ObamaCare’s employer mandate for one year. More recently, on February 10, the administration announced it would further delay the mandate for certain companies.

Illegal IRS rule to expand premium assistance subsidies: ObamaCare states it will provide “premium assistance” tax credits and subsidies to help individuals purchase health insurance on state-run insurance exchanges. Undaunted by the letter of the law, the administration extended the assistance to federally-run exchanges as well.

Illegal HHS Mandate: The administration – via ObamaCare – mandates that employers, including religious groups, pay for sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and birth control services even if paying for them violates their deeply-held personal beliefs. This is America – a nation founded on freedom of religion.

If you’d like more examples, this 33-page report cites over 40 separate examples of executive overreach under President Obama. If you prefer to watch a video on the issue, an interesting piece from Fox News can be found here.

I’ve heard from folks across Texas - loud and clear – they don’t want this president, or any other for that matter, to ignore the constitutional limits on executive power. That’s why last week, the House passed several bills to help restore a government that abides by our Constitution and stop President Obama’s imperial presidency. If the Senate Democrat majority has respect for the rule of law, they ought to follow our lead. I will continue to keep a close eye on this administration, demanding accountability through hearings and funding restrictions in appropriations bills.