-Caveat Lector-
THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY
A curb on Clinton power?
Congressional resolution
would limit scope of executive orders
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Sarah Foster
� 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
Concerned about President Clinton's aggressive use of executive orders to
shape policy and make end-runs around Congress, Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash.,
has introduced legislation he hopes will check the White House's hand.
"The president has in effect made himself a 'super-legislator' by issuing
executive orders that require the appropriation of funds," says Metcalf,
explaining the reason for his new bill. "We must reverse this trend and
fulfill our constitutional duty. This vital legislation reasserts the role of
Congress to enact legislation and appropriate federal dollars. [It] reminds us
all that only Congress has the power to authorize the spending of federal
dollars."
If House Concurrent Resolution 30 passes, any executive order "which infringes
on congressional powers and duties" or requires the expenditure of federal
funds "not specifically appropriated for the purpose of the executive order"
would be advisory only and have no force or effect unless Congress enacts it
as law.
Those powers and duties are detailed in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S.
Constitution, which assigns to Congress various responsibilities, among them
levying and collecting taxes, declaring war, raising and maintaining a
military, regulating commerce between the states and foreign nations, and
coining money.
"We're focusing on Section 8 because we want to re-establish completely the
prerogatives of the Congress to authorize and appropriate funds for
legislation," explained Metcalf's chief of staff, Lew Moore, in a telephone
interview.
The resolution would apply not only to recent executive orders, but to those
issued by the president "before, on, or after the date of the approval of this
resolution."
Of the 279 executive orders issued by Clinton, Metcalf regards E.O. 13061:
Federal Support of Community Efforts along American Heritage Rivers -- issued
Sept. 11, 1997 -- as one that's "particularly egregious," said Moore. "That's
the one that really got us started. Clinton was promising federal money that
had not been appropriated; he was reprogramming funds that were not
authorized."
Under this executive order, Clinton would select 10 rivers from a list of
nominees -- deemed in need of "federal protection" and funds. Nominations were
made by local governments and various environmental groups, with -- at first
-- no provision for withdrawing a nominated river from the list. The list was
later expanded, again by executive order, to 14.
Metcalf discovered the Snohomish River in his district had been nominated
without his knowledge or consent, but with support of the local government
officials who had been promised funding by federal agents.
When questioned, officials explained White House agents had promised money for
various projects.
"In essence, what they [the local officials] told us was that the federal
government was going to issue regulations or in some way use its police powers
to 'protect' the river -- along with funding," Moore recalled. "This was the
pitch to these people to support this initiative. They didn't realize that
they were taking the first steps towards having the Feds driving local land
use policy. And of course, they were promising that funding would be sent from
the various agencies to assist in this effort."
"This means the funding would be rerouted from one purpose to another," Moore
said. "As an example, where money might have been appropriated for U.S. Fish
and Wildlife for various programs, not a dime has been appropriated by
Congress for the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. By going through this
circuitous routing, they were hoping to get some funding in."
It was this rerouting of money to implement the Heritage Rivers program that
caused Moore and Metcalf to take a closer look at the mechanics of executive
orders.
As they see it, "If Congress sends money to an agency, say to Fish and
Wildlife, for one purpose -- and it ends up in a program that every chairman
of jurisdiction in the Congress has made very clear they oppose, that's
thwarting the intent of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution," Moore said.
"I don't know how else you can read that."
As of March 20, HCR 30 had 32 cosponsors. The first to sign on was Rep. Henry
Hyde, R-IL, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee where the bill will
eventually be heard.
Other co-sponsors include Reps. Ernest Istook, R-OK, Ron Paul, R-TX, Dan
Burton, R-IN, Virgil Goode, D-WV, and James Traficant, D-OH.
"We believe HCR 30 is the first shot across the bow in a new and renewed
struggle to take our Constitution back and to return the prerogatives to the
peoples' representatives," said Moore.
"But to get out of the Judiciary Committee, HCR 30 must be raised to the
radar" of other members of Congress."
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107,
this material is distributed without profit to those who
have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included
information for research and educational purposes. For
more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
