Boehner: House Has No Plans to Defund Unconstitutional Acts by Obama

CNS News ^ | July 21, 2014 | Brittany M. Hughes

[lilyramone]

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated today that if President Barack Obama takes actions that exceed his constitutional authority, the House of Representatives has no plans to use its own constitutional authority to withhold funding from those actions.

At his weekly press briefing, CNSNews.com asked Boehner: “You’ve said you disagree with calls to impeach the president over abuse of power via executive actions. But under the Constitution the House actually has the power of the purse. So, if the President takes actions that exceed his Constitutional authority, will you withhold funding for those actions in the next must-pass appropriations bill?

[Ghost of SVR4]

So in essence, Boehner is acting un-Constitutionally.

[drypowder]

As a representative republic, this country is finished. The criminals in DC know that the American people will do nothing to stop them but will only keep bitching about what this government is doing while they continue taking what ever corrupt crap this government forces down our throats.

[alstewartfan]

Worthless POS’s stick together.

[aquila48]

I’m no fan of Boehner, but this idea that the House has the power of the purse is crap and by repeating it over and over it only adds to the popular ignorance and it even infects the usually well informed people that frequent FreeRepublic.

When you boil it down to its essence, the so called “power of the purse” reduces to “government shutdown” given the current makeup of the three branches of government.

And given the current political sentiments of the population “government shutdown” is something that democrats would relish.

So unless you have someone leading the “government shutdown” movement who can convince the majority of the people that it is the right thing to do and get them to strongly support it, doing it would be a loser’s game.

So GraceG, Vet, Alex, Graewoulf, lily if you were the speaker, how would you go about getting the MAJORITY of the people to love a government shutdown? Because that is what you’re expecting Boehner to do.

[sarge83]

Nothing I am betting. Boner is a liberal GOPE trash pedlar. Whatever the liberal GOPE trash minions want, he does their bidding and they want their time at the feeding $$$ trough.

After all it is all about the Republican Party, the country be damned.

[Ohioan]

Shut down government and the media places all the blame on Republicans, and we lose the house in 2014. Then O’bastard could really go wild!

Only if we continue to allow spokesmen, who are not able to explain the issues on TV. I can tell you from personal experience, that when these issues are properly explained by someone who knows how to use TV, the public will rally to the truth. And what is the truth? That one's oath requires just what you are pledged to do.

The Republicans could easily have framed the issue by voting to fund everything that they could in conscience fund--even if they did not agree with it--and then let the Democrats shut down the Government, as spoiled brats who could not have their way on everything!

But you have to have spokesmen who make the issue crystal clear; spokesmen who can use TV to communicate, without reading someone else's stale words off a teleprompter.

It can be done.

William Flax

[Diogenesis]

GOP = GAVE Obama Power

Boehner is complicit. COMPLICIT.

[flaglady47]

“Anyone who still hangs their party hat at GOP headquarters is just as guilty in the destruction of our Country as the (D)’s.”

Until in the 2016 election you end up stuck with the Dems again for another 4 years. And you will be doing your part to assure that happens. You must want it to happen actually.

[kjam22]

I’m a little confused. I understand that funding measures must initiate in the House. But it still requires Senate approval. There’s a lot of talk about the House unfunding Obammy etc. I’m not sure how that works right now without the Senate being onboard.

[Amendment10]

It dawned on me that any defunding bill made by the House would also have to be passed by the Senate, corrections welcome. And corrupt Reid isn’t going to let any defunding bill pass.

The reason that the House’s control of the purse (the Constitution’s Clause 1 of Section 7 of Article I) now won’t work is the following imo. The stupid House has already funded Obama’s unconstitutonal projects with unaccounted, constitutionally indefensible stimulus plan funding imo. So the horse has already escaped the barn even if the House had the support of the Senate to close the barn door.

Again, unless patriots and former Obama supporters elect a 2/3 conservative Senate majority in 2014 elections, a majority who is willing to give Obama the boot if the House impeaches him, then there’s little that Boehner can do about Obama other than to sue him because of Obama guard dog Reid.

[lilyramone]

“So GraceG, Vet, Alex, Graewoulf, lily if you were the speaker, how would you go about getting the MAJORITY of the people to love a government shutdown? Because that is what you’re expecting Boehner to do.”

You seem to be mistaking doing what is popular with doing what is right

[kjam22]

I agree exactly. I support the Lawsuit. If Boehner has worked right and has some courts that will rule with him that is our best opportunity at this time to reign in the monarchy.

[Diogenesis]

The EXEMPT COMPLICIT Prince:
"Do not worry. We in the GOP will always protect you, from Fast&Furious to the IRS atrocity
through our mutual abuse of the NSA, to leaving the borders open as
terrorists bring in Swine flu, dengue fever, tuberculosis, TB, malaria,
yellow fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis, trypanosomiasis,
and myasis to our always complaining plebians by our involuntary quartering.
Trust me. In the end, we will NEVER do anything of substance, our most beloved King
........... who has made us, our staff, and our families ... EXEMPT."

"At the foundation of our civil liberties lies
the principle that denies to government officials
an exceptional position before the law and which
subjects them to the same rules of conduct
that are commands to the citizen."
Justice Louis D. Brandeis

[Rockitz]

Even though Obama is double, triple, and quintuple-dog daring the House to impeach him, I think Boenher is doing the right thing in not pursuing it NOW. Obama wants do go campaigning between now and November with an issue with which he can energize the democRAT base and the Speaker is quite appropriately not going to give it to him under any circumstance.

Hang-on until the GOP wins the senate back and then go for it if, and only if, they think it will do terminal damage to the democRAT party for the next 50 years.

[dware]

You must want it to happen actually.

1. If you think having R's running the show is going to change anything, I urge you to look closely at 2000-2006, when the R's had the House, Senate and WH. I don't see any immigration reform during that time, nor do I see debt reduced or any of the other things folks such as your self keep claiming will happen if we can just get the R's elected.

2. If the R's DO get the majority in the Senate, O will NOT be impeached. We can infer as much from Boner's statements and more. I would rather know exactly what to expect, than to vote for the R's and get stabbed in the back - again (fool me once, shame on you...)

What I want to happen is for my country to be returned to the Constitutional Republic it was founded as. I don't see that happening with either D's or R's in place. At least with the D's, we'll get where we're headed a whole lot quicker and, hopefully, we'll be able to weather it and get back to the founding principles.

Or, we can vote R just because it's R and accept the chains of slavery. No thanks.

[Mariner]

Any Rep who voted for Boner as Speaker is PART OF THE PROBLEM!

Refuse them your vote...even in the General Election.

[Diogenesis]

flaglady47: "Until in the 2016 election you end up stuck with the Dems again for another 4 years. And you will be doing your part to assure that happens. You must want it to happen actually."

ONLY because Romney surrogates attacked Gov Palin
in 2008 for Obama when McCain and Gov. Palin were ahead,
and because Romney only defended himself
to Obama one moment during one debate
and depended upon his egotism which was insufficient
given his creation of RomneyCARE/ObamaCARE
and his poor governance as a Governor.
(which was why he had to attack Gov. Palin
and the Speaker and Sen Thompson and ....)
Romney's wife would have been a much better candidate.

[Wuli]

Boehner is an idiot.

It is Obama and Harry Reid that need and rely on the House of Representatives, for money, not the other way around.

That makes the power of the purse more direct, immediate and powerful than the political stunt of “suing the President” which if not tossed out by SCOTUS will still be laughed at by Obama.

[aquila48]

You seem to be mistaking losing with winning.

But I ask you again, you are the speaker, what would you do? Tell me what you would do that is “right” and what the consequences would be.

Playing armchair quarterback is a lot easier than actually doing something and facing its consequences. I look forward to your answer.

[Norseman]

>>When you boil it down to its essence, the so called “power of the purse” reduces to “government shutdown” given the current makeup of the three branches of government.<<

Finally, a voice of reason. Thank you.

The power of the purse will come heavily into play if the GOP takes the Senate in November, provided McConnell drops the current filibuster rule entirely, an action that should be easy to take now that Reid has dropped it unilaterally for approving presidential appointments.

Besides, this whole issue is moot until after the election anyway, since the current Continuing Resolution will fund the government past that date.