The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Faithful Execution of the Law Act Thursday by a vote of 244 to 171.
According to a report released by Congressman Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, the Act would strengthen current law by requiring the Executive Branch to report to Congress whenever they decide not to enforce the law.
On Wednesday, the House passed the Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law Act (ENFORCE the Law). The ENFORCE the Law Act would allow for a lawsuit by Congress against the Executive Branch for failure to faithfully execute the laws, as required in the Constitution.
Congressman Tim Huelskamp released the following statement:
“King Obama recently stated that he would use a pen and phone to circumvent Congress—well, Mr. President, the U.S. House cannot and will not idly stand by while you eviscerate the Constitution. Your Administration, particularly Attorney General Eric Holder, has a clear history of ignoring laws it does not like or ‘rewriting’ them based on your ideological and political whim. From ObamaCare to the IRS to state marriage laws to the EPA, Obama Overreach continues to run rampant through the executive branch. It is time to bring this to an end.
“While the Faithful Execution of the Law Act and the ENFORCE the Law Act provide a start, Democrat Harry Reid doesn’t care about these constitutional threats and simply will not allow these bills to be voted upon. And if he did, President Obama will not sign any measure that protects these Constitutional principles. That’s why I am a co-sponsor of the Stop This Overreaching Presidency Resolution (H.Res. 442) which directs the House to take legal action to force Obama to follow the Constitution. Unlike these bills, it would not require approval by Reid or Obama.
“In addition to STOP, Republican House leadership has other viable options to rein in the imperial presidency. The House controls the power of the purse – if we are willing to use it. So let’s debate the IRS budget on the floor, allow the entire House to consider Holder’s budget, force the White House to defend their spending on the House floor, and provide for an open amendment process for these key budgets. Nothing moves a bureaucrat or a politician more than taking away their budget. We can do all of these in the House – it is simply a decision the House leadership has to make.”
