"MAKE CONGRESS RESPONSIBLE AGAIN" - Sen. Mike Lee / July 06, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/06/make-congress-responsible-again/
The only good news in all this is that what a weak Congress has broken, a strong Congress can fix. But only a strong Congress. (Photo: iStock Photos)
Washington is broken. And American politics in 2016 seems to be a competition to assign blame for the federal government’s dysfunction, rising costs, and habitual failure to perform even its most basic responsibilities. The usual suspects offer up their favorite villains: Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and progressive, insiders and outsiders all accuse each other.
But in this case the problem is not partisan or ideological; it’s structural. The reason the federal government isn’t working today is that it isn’t working properly. The constitutional order set up by our founders is breaking down. Specifically, the awesome powers of the federal legislative branch are increasingly being exercised by the executive and judicial branches.
Conservatives have been warning about this for years, but it seems to me we don’t take the argument to its logical conclusion. Ultimately, the problem with unchecked executive and judicial hyper-activism isn’t the activism; it’s the “unchecked” part.
The pillars of Congress’ power are its core constitutional functions: legislating, budgeting, and oversight. That’s the work representatives and senators get hired to do, and—more to the point—get fired for doing poorly. But actually using these powers—especially in an era now of real-time electronic transparency—exposes representatives and senators to the ruthless public accountability embedded in Article I.
So the safest course for Congress is not to do that work well; it’s to get out of having to do it at all, by delegating our legislative power and surrendering our authority over federal spending to the executive branch, and by relinquishing our constitutional oversight powers to the judicial branch.
Congressional weakness costs us much more than dollars. The greater loss is to our culture, measured in the distrust, even contempt, Americans now express toward our public institutions.
Despite repeated so-called “change” elections, the casual abuse and dysfunction that defines modern Washington stays the same. Problems go unsolved. Corruption is ignored. Incompetence seems, if anything, to be rewarded. With Congress’ every new abdication, our entire system of government loses a little more of its citizens’ respect, a little more of its moral legitimacy.
The only good news in all this is that what a weak Congress has broken, a strong Congress can fix. But only a strong Congress. There is no substitute. There is only the House and Senate, their 535 members, and Congress’ collective will to do its duty to our Constitution and countrymen.
First, Congress should reassert its constitutional authority over federal regulations by requiring legislative approval of new major rules and regular re-assessments and re-authorizations of existing ones.
Second, Congress should modernize its obsolete budget process to get ourselves—and more importantly, the American people—out from under the false choice of Caesarism or shutdown.
And third, Congress should rein in executive discretion. We should empower federal judges—who now defer to executive agencies’ interpretations of laws and regulations—to conduct traditional judicial review in challenges against the administrative state.
[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]
Mike Lee is a Republican senator from Utah.
"Confused Who Has the Majority in Congress? You’re Not Alone." -
Rachel Bovard / @Rachel_Bovard / July 05, 2016; http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/05/confused-who-has-the-majority-in-congress-youre-not-alone/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1Oa01tTTBPVFV5WWpaaCIsInQiOiJTT1BkRUEzQTdoS2wrRGIyd2JDQUJFK0dnM2FmZG0xSitkXC9yKzlTQUdRNWU3eHN1MFI5Y1NhOVdsa1RWV21XWTU4dlN1K2JIUTBPZ1FSSngwVFwvQXh0dnF5czArTW45VWxJcUtrU1V4TmdFPSJ9
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"Confused Who Has the Majority in Congress? You’re Not Alone." - Rachel Bovard / July 05, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/05/confused-who-has-the-majority-in-congress-youre-not-alone/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1Oa01tTTBPVFV5WWpaaCIsInQiOiJTT1BkRUEzQTdoS2wrRGIyd2JDQUJFK0dnM2FmZG0xSitkXC9yKzlTQUdRNWU3eHN1MFI5Y1NhOVdsa1RWV21XWTU4dlN1K2JIUTBPZ1FSSngwVFwvQXh0dnF5czArTW45VWxJcUtrU1V4TmdFPSJ9
"...Things really took a turn last week, however, when the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced its 2017 foreign aid bill. In a sign that principles were about to be shelved, all 16 Republicans and 14 Democrats on the committee unanimously supported an amendment by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., to provide $500 million to the U.N. sponsored Green Climate Fund—the principle funding mechanism for Obama’s international climate change treaty.
For the record, this is the same treaty that the Obama administration imposed upon taxpayers without the advice and consent of the Senate, and the same funding mechanism that GOP Senators previously swore up and down that they would fight tooth and nail to oppose.
But the committee action got even worse with the passage of an amendment offered by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to add $37.5 million to the United Nations Population Fund, which provides services for “international family planning and reproductive health”—that is, taxpayer funded abortion performed overseas.
In a Republican controlled committee, this amendment supporting abortion passed 17-13, thanks to the votes of Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Mark Kirk, R-Ill.
Most disturbing, however, was that the entire bill—containing language to fund abortion, and to fund the president’s climate change treaty—passed the committee 30-0..."
The only good news in all this is that what a weak Congress has broken, a strong Congress can fix. But only a strong Congress. (Photo: iStock Photos)
Washington is broken. And American politics in 2016 seems to be a competition to assign blame for the federal government’s dysfunction, rising costs, and habitual failure to perform even its most basic responsibilities. The usual suspects offer up their favorite villains: Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and progressive, insiders and outsiders all accuse each other.
But in this case the problem is not partisan or ideological; it’s structural. The reason the federal government isn’t working today is that it isn’t working properly. The constitutional order set up by our founders is breaking down. Specifically, the awesome powers of the federal legislative branch are increasingly being exercised by the executive and judicial branches.
Conservatives have been warning about this for years, but it seems to me we don’t take the argument to its logical conclusion. Ultimately, the problem with unchecked executive and judicial hyper-activism isn’t the activism; it’s the “unchecked” part.
The pillars of Congress’ power are its core constitutional functions: legislating, budgeting, and oversight. That’s the work representatives and senators get hired to do, and—more to the point—get fired for doing poorly. But actually using these powers—especially in an era now of real-time electronic transparency—exposes representatives and senators to the ruthless public accountability embedded in Article I.
So the safest course for Congress is not to do that work well; it’s to get out of having to do it at all, by delegating our legislative power and surrendering our authority over federal spending to the executive branch, and by relinquishing our constitutional oversight powers to the judicial branch.
Congressional weakness costs us much more than dollars. The greater loss is to our culture, measured in the distrust, even contempt, Americans now express toward our public institutions.
Despite repeated so-called “change” elections, the casual abuse and dysfunction that defines modern Washington stays the same. Problems go unsolved. Corruption is ignored. Incompetence seems, if anything, to be rewarded. With Congress’ every new abdication, our entire system of government loses a little more of its citizens’ respect, a little more of its moral legitimacy.
The only good news in all this is that what a weak Congress has broken, a strong Congress can fix. But only a strong Congress. There is no substitute. There is only the House and Senate, their 535 members, and Congress’ collective will to do its duty to our Constitution and countrymen.
First, Congress should reassert its constitutional authority over federal regulations by requiring legislative approval of new major rules and regular re-assessments and re-authorizations of existing ones.
Second, Congress should modernize its obsolete budget process to get ourselves—and more importantly, the American people—out from under the false choice of Caesarism or shutdown.
And third, Congress should rein in executive discretion. We should empower federal judges—who now defer to executive agencies’ interpretations of laws and regulations—to conduct traditional judicial review in challenges against the administrative state.
[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]
Mike Lee is a Republican senator from Utah.
"Confused Who Has the Majority in Congress? You’re Not Alone." -
Rachel Bovard / @Rachel_Bovard / July 05, 2016; http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/05/confused-who-has-the-majority-in-congress-youre-not-alone/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1Oa01tTTBPVFV5WWpaaCIsInQiOiJTT1BkRUEzQTdoS2wrRGIyd2JDQUJFK0dnM2FmZG0xSitkXC9yKzlTQUdRNWU3eHN1MFI5Y1NhOVdsa1RWV21XWTU4dlN1K2JIUTBPZ1FSSngwVFwvQXh0dnF5czArTW45VWxJcUtrU1V4TmdFPSJ9
The Daily Signal logo
SEARCH
east 2 More Could Close Soon
"Confused Who Has the Majority in Congress? You’re Not Alone." - Rachel Bovard / July 05, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/05/confused-who-has-the-majority-in-congress-youre-not-alone/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1Oa01tTTBPVFV5WWpaaCIsInQiOiJTT1BkRUEzQTdoS2wrRGIyd2JDQUJFK0dnM2FmZG0xSitkXC9yKzlTQUdRNWU3eHN1MFI5Y1NhOVdsa1RWV21XWTU4dlN1K2JIUTBPZ1FSSngwVFwvQXh0dnF5czArTW45VWxJcUtrU1V4TmdFPSJ9
"...Things really took a turn last week, however, when the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced its 2017 foreign aid bill. In a sign that principles were about to be shelved, all 16 Republicans and 14 Democrats on the committee unanimously supported an amendment by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., to provide $500 million to the U.N. sponsored Green Climate Fund—the principle funding mechanism for Obama’s international climate change treaty.
For the record, this is the same treaty that the Obama administration imposed upon taxpayers without the advice and consent of the Senate, and the same funding mechanism that GOP Senators previously swore up and down that they would fight tooth and nail to oppose.
But the committee action got even worse with the passage of an amendment offered by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to add $37.5 million to the United Nations Population Fund, which provides services for “international family planning and reproductive health”—that is, taxpayer funded abortion performed overseas.
In a Republican controlled committee, this amendment supporting abortion passed 17-13, thanks to the votes of Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Mark Kirk, R-Ill.
Most disturbing, however, was that the entire bill—containing language to fund abortion, and to fund the president’s climate change treaty—passed the committee 30-0..."
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