Coming as a surprise to no one ever, John Boehner's Republican majority voted to advance their lawsuit against President Obama for not implementing a law they voted to repeal over 50 times -- the Affordable Care Act.
TPM:
House Republicans officially gave Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) their seal of approval on Wednesday to sue President Barack Obama, marking the first time in U.S. history that a chamber of Congress has endorsed a lawsuit against a president.
The House adopted the resolution by a vote of 225-201. Five Republicans joined a unanimous Democratic conference to vote against the measure. They were Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Walter Jones (R-SC), Paul Broun (R-GA), Steve Stockman (R-TX) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ).
Don't mistake those Republican "no" votes as an objection to going after President Obama. They're just upset that this lawsuit is the bone tossed in place of impeachment.
The resolution authorizes Boehner to challenge Obama in court for exceeding his authority by unilaterally delaying deadlines under Obamacare. Although he has said he'll target the one-year delay of the health care reform law's employer mandate penalties, the text of the GOP resolution gives the Speaker room to legally challenge implementation tweaks to other provisions of the law.
"This isn't about Republicans and Democrats. It's about defending the Constitution that we swore an oath to uphold," Boehner said. "Are you willing to let any president choose what laws to execute and what laws to change? Are you willing to let anyone tear apart what our Founders have built?"
When an entire branch of the US Government refuses to govern, what's a President to do?
Update: This just dropped in my inbox from the RNC. So much for that whole "we're ready to govern thing."
Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are suing this Imperial President for expanding his power and control beyond the constitutional and legal limits.
President Obama has failed to uphold the crux of his constitutional duty – to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed” – and he must be held accountable.
But we can’t let up now. We need you by our side now more than ever — especially before the RNC’s crucial FEC deadline at midnight on July 31.
It’s critical that we expand our Republican majority in the House and gain a majority in the Senate who will put a proper check on this Imperial President in his final two years in office.
And to do that, we must raise $37,551 by our urgent election commission deadline at midnight tomorrow.
