adminHOUSE Speaker John Boehner announced Wednesday he plans to file suit against President Barak Obama over his alleged abuse of executive power.
“This is not about impeachment — it’s about him faithfully executing the laws of this country,” Boehner said.
The speaker alleged that the president not only has ignored the law but “brags about it,” decrying what he described as “arrogance and incompetence.”
Boehner had been weighing such a lawsuit in recent days, over concerns that Obama exceeded his constitutional authority with executive actions. Republicans have voiced frustration with Obama’s second-term “pen and phone” strategy of pursuing policy changes without Congress — particularly environmental rules via the Environmental Protection Agency.
Republicans also complained about numerous unilateral changes to the implementation of ObamaCare.
The lawsuit has not yet been filed. But asked Wednesday whether he intended to proceed, Boehner said: “I am.”
“My view is the president has not faithfully executed the laws,” he said. “What we have seen clearly over the last five years is an effort to erode the power of the Legislative Branch.”
The decision to sue still would have to be formally approved by a group of House leaders. Presuming that step is cleared, the suit is expected to be filed in a few weeks.
The plaintiff would be the House of Representatives.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, asked about the suit at Wednesday’s briefing, defended the president’s executive authority — while blasting Republican leadership for what he called a “taxpayer-funded lawsuit against the president of the United States for doing his job.” — Fox News.
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