The Republican-controlled House wants to make it easier to sue the president for not doing his job
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And if you can't join 'em, then pass a law to make it easier to sue the pants off 'em.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would fast track civil suits brought by lawmakers against the president. The measure, which passed by a near-party line vote of 233-181, would allow House or Senate members who believe the president isn't fully enforcing all laws to file suit in federal district court and appeal directly to the Supreme Court.
"The Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to write the laws and the executive to enforce them," said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.). "We don't pass suggestions. We don't pass ideas. We pass laws."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Obama administration's numerous delays of pieces of ObamaCare, critics say, are indicative of the president's selective approach to law enforcement. And that argument is why Republicans have backed away from immigration reform, saying the president can't be trusted to enforce every border security provision, so there's no point dealing with him at all on the issue.
The Senate has no intention of taking up the measure, and even if it were to reach Obama's desk, it's a safe bet that he wouldn't sign it.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
6 homes for entertainingFeature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
-
Obesity drugs: Will Trump’s plan lower costs?Feature Even $149 a month, the advertised price for a starting dose of a still-in-development GLP-1 pill on TrumpRx, will be too big a burden for the many Americans ‘struggling to afford groceries’
-
The ‘Kavanaugh stop’Feature Activists say a Supreme Court ruling has given federal agents a green light to racially profile Latinos
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
-
Trump pivots on Epstein vote amid GOP defectionsSpeed Read The president said House Republicans should vote on a forced release of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
