A Dangerous Shift in Power

This week, President Obama delivered his State of the Union address to Members of Congress and the nation. I appreciated the President’s strong support of expanding international trade, and of the troops. The recognition of Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg, an Army Ranger injured while deployed in Afghanistan, was the highlight of the night. However, the speech was largely a repetition and defense of the same government-heavy policies which clearly are failing the American people.

I am particularly concerned by the President’s plans to make 2014 a “year of action” by circumventing Congress “whenever and wherever” he chooses. The President implied he would enact new gun controls without congressional consent. He also laid out plans to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers, create new retirement savings bonds, review job training programs, move infrastructure projects forward, and more – all without going through the legislative process.

This go-it-alone strategy might make for good politics at a time when Americans are fed up with gridlock in Washington. Reasonable people can disagree on the merits of the President’s policies. However, this strategy represents a dangerous shift in power to the executive branch away from the elected representatives of the people.

Working around Congress undermines the system of checks and balances established by the founders of our nation in the Constitution. The federal government is comprised of three separate but equal branches with overlapping authority to prevent any individual, or faction from gaining too much power. The division between the legislative branch and the executive branch, as well as between the House and the Senate, help to best reflect the will and diversity of the American people.

The federal government is also intended to move slowly, and to make it difficult to pass new laws. This process makes it more likely different points of view are considered, and new laws are well thought out, debated, and broadly agreed upon before they are imposed on the American people. This has prevented many, but clearly not all, bad ideas from becoming law over the years.

I share the frustration of most Americans at the lack of progress in Washington. However, this inaction reflects the disagreement on the best way forward. In the last election, the American people elected Republicans to control the House of Representatives, and Democrats to control the Senate and White House. In divided government, neither side can expect to get everything it wants. Our frustration is not an excuse to abandon the underpinnings of our democracy. We have to find common ground and compromise, as we did this week by passing a Farm Bill.

Several court cases will likely move forward to question the legality of the President’s unilateral actions and we are considering what steps could be taken next in the House. If this problem is not addressed, I worry the continued shift toward greater executive authority is not in our nation’s best interests, and will lead to greater dysfunction in Washington.