Congressman Mac Thornberry

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Executive Overreach

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"Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires the President to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”

President Obama consistently shows utter disregard for the rule and enforcement of law. From Obamacare delays, a failure to enforce immigration laws, to his threat to take unilateral action if Congress does not comply, the President has stretched his regulatory authority beyond the bounds of the Constitution time and time again. The democratic process with separate but equal branches is part of what sets America apart and must be preserved for future generations.

Recently, the House passed two bills to hold the President and federal agencies accountable to this clause. See a summary of bills below:

H.R. 4138, ENFORCE the Law Act of 2014 establishes a procedure for the House or Senate to file a lawsuit against the executive branch for failing to execute the laws. The case would first be filed in a Federal district court of competent jurisdiction made up of a three-judge panel to hear the case. The panel’s decision would be appealable directly to the United States Supreme Court, which would be required to expedite the case.

H.R. 3973, the Faithful Execution of the Law Act of 2014 amends federal law to require the Attorney General to report to Congress any time a federal official or agency establishes or implements a formal or informal policy to refrain from enforcing any provisions of federal law.

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