[Soul of the South]

The law only matters if it is obeyed and enforced. As we have seen many times the current inhabitant of the White House chooses which laws he will obey and enforce.

As to actually limiting spending, has there been an audit of this administration? Every day we a treated to Obama saying he is going to spend a billion here for some project and give a few billion to some country or international organization. Does Congress, or anyone else, know if this administration isn’t simply just spending money whether or not there is an appropriation?

A public corporation by law reconciles its books monthly during the closing process and files statements quarterly with the SEC. Its annual financial statements are audited by independent auditing firms. Does anyone know if the federal government ever reconciles its books or does it just keep collecting, borrowing and spending money?

[rodguy911]

Exactly laws are only good if they are obeyed and if there is someone there to kick some ass when they are not obeyed.

[BruceS]

By law, all appropriated activities (of which HHS is one) are required by law to have an independent public accounting firm do an audit of their financial statements. As of this date, every department of the Federal government has an unqualified (clean) audit opinion, except the Department of Defense, which has never been able to get an audit for various reasons.

The audit would, by its nature, tell you if the agency spent more than they were appropriated by Congress. The audit would not necessarily tell you if they spent money in a way Congress not authorized by Congress, but the auditor would have to disclose that if it came to their attention.

I know all this because I am an accountant with the Department of Defense, who prepares the financial statements that are supposed to be audited.

[Thank You Rush]

Section 9 of the US Constitution:

“”No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in
Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.””

Meaning:

“”The departments and agencies of the executive branch may not spend any money that Congress has not appropriated, or use federal money for any purpose that Congress has not specified.””

Have we EVER seen a statement of the Receipts and Expenditures or seen Congress lay down the law on obozo’s spending???? If Congress doesn’t appropriate it, he MAY NOT SPEND IT! HA!