House Judiciary Hearing On The President's Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws

Concerned that the president has been writing his own laws on issues such as health insurance and immigration reform, the House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this morning to examine how far a chief executive can go: “The President’s Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws.” You can watch live on CSPAN.

Four experts with a mix of legal, constitutional and health policy backgrounds are testifying: Professor Jonathan Turley, Professor George Washington University Law School, Professor Nicholas Rosenkranz, Georgetown University Law Center, Simon Lazarus, Constitutional Accountability Center, and Michael F. Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies Cato Institute.

“President Obama has blatantly disregarded the Constitution’s mandate to faithfully execute the laws,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., in a statement. “He has changed key provisions in Obamacare without congressional approval, failed to enforce our immigration and drug laws, and ignored his constitutional duties for the sake of politics.”

Jonathan Turley wrote on his blog, “this morning I will testifying in Congress before the House Judiciary Committee on ‘The President’s Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws.’ The hearing will address areas where President Obama has ordered the delay or nonenforcement of federal laws. While I happen to agree with some of these policies, I have great reservations about this record and its implications for the separation of powers.”