Boehner: House will sue Obama
By Russell Berman - 06/25/14 12:30 PM EDT
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday said he plans to sue President Obama on behalf of the House over his frequent use of executive actions that Republicans believe are beyond his authority.
During his weekly Capitol press conference, the Speaker accused the president of violating his oath of office by not “faithfully executing the laws of our country.” But Boehner said the lawsuit would not lead to an attempt to remove Obama from office.
“This is not about impeachment,” Boehner said. “This is about his faithfully executing the laws of our country.”
The Speaker would not say what specific executive actions the House would challenge, though Republicans have long complained that Obama has exceeded his authority in the various delays the administration has announced in implementing the Affordable Care Act, as well as the president’s enforcement of immigration laws.
A lawsuit could take years to wind through the courts and outlast the Obama presidency. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday called the move “subterfuge,” but Boehner denied it was designed to gin up the Republican base ahead of the November midterm elections.
“This is about defending the institution in which we serve,” he said. “You know, if you look back over the last 235 years of our history, there’s been a movement between the inherent powers of the executive branch and the inherent powers of the legislative branch.
“And what we’ve seen clearly over the last five years is an effort to erode the power of the legislative branch,” the Speaker continued. “I believe the president is not faithfully executing the laws of our country, and on behalf of the institution and the Constitution, standing up and fighting for this is in the best long-term interest of the Congress.”
A Boehner aide said more details on the lawsuit could be made available Wednesday afternoon..
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/210532-boehner-house-will-sue-obama#ixzz35g2dKAUT
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