By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery announced on Wednesday, March 12, that she is supporting the ENFORCE Act, which would permit either the House or Senate to bring judicial action against the Executive Branch for failure to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.
Congresswoman Roby gave a short speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives advocating that the House pass the ENFORCE Act.
The text of Rep. Roby’s speech is below:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of Alabama’s Second Congressional District to lend my support to H.R. 4138, The ENFORCE Act.
I appreciate my friend and colleague Trey Gowdy for bringing forth this important legislation.
We are here today to answer one question, Mr. Speaker. Will we stand idly by while an imperial president ignores the rule of law and unravels the separation of powers so carefully woven into our Constitution?
The answer is NO.
Probably more than anything else, my constituents ask me what are we doing to address the pattern of executive overreaches and disregard for the law by President Obama and his administration.
Good, God-fearing Americans who work hard, pay their taxes and obey the law are understandably frustrated by a president who acts as if he is above the law.
The abuses are well-documented: Selective enforcement of immigration laws, waiving compliance for “welfare to work” laws, and what has become almost weekly attempts to delay, waive or just not enforce parts of ObamaCare because of the political implications – these just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, our Constitutional constraints on government may not be convenient for President Obama’s political or policy goals. But, they are necessary for preserving the checks and balances that ensure this government still derives its authority from the people, not the other way around.
We now seek the intervention of the Judicial Branch to rein in the Executive Branch and reconstitute our proper separation of powers. I believe in our Constitution, and I believe it’s worth fighting for. That’s why I urge my colleagues to support the ENFORCE Act and join the fight to restore checks and balances.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”
Republicans and Congresswoman Roby charge that the Obama Administration has repeatedly acted outside of Constitutional constraints on the Executive Branch and has selectively enforced duly-enacted laws, from immigration and welfare laws to President Obama’s own signature healthcare law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Obamacare) among others. Some parts of the unpopular healthcare legislation won’t be fully implemented until after President Obama’s successor has been elected.
Roby and her Republican colleagues charge that refusal to enforce laws based on politics or ideology undermines the rule of law and the American system of checks and balances. Rep. Roby said the intervention of the Judicial Branch is needed to, “rein in the Executive Branch and reconstitute our proper separation of powers.”
If passed by the House of Representatives, the ENFORCE Act faces an unlikely future in the Democrat controlled U.S. Senate where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) from Nevada has resisted every call to this point to curb alleged excesses by this administration or to advance legislation passed by Republicans in the House. Most pieces of legislation passed by the House are never allowed to come to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
With no fear of Congress, a refusal to be limited by even a budget, and with a compliant Federal Reserve printing vast quantities of new dollars to purchase federal debt President Obama has ruled largely through executive orders and regulatory actions to implement his agenda.
Congresswoman Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
Rep. Roby is seeking a third term in the Congress in November.
