Republican Senator Ben Sasse broke with Trump – after he used POTUS help to win his primary, a real profile in courage this guy is – over Trump’s executive orders he issued yesterday.
“The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop. President Obama did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA, and President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress,” said Sasse.
Ben fell right into the media’s trap when he rushed to judge Trump before he knew the substance of the orders. For example, Trump is not rewriting payroll tax law he is deferring payment until after the crisis. The money will still be owed and as Trump said would take legislation to forgive.
From The Daily Mail:
Some of Trump’s other GOP allies issued much less harsh criticism of the president, claiming they would prefer that Congress be the entity to take action in providing a legislative compromise on economic stimulus and relief.
‘I appreciate the President taking this decisive action,’ South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted Saturday, adding, ‘but would much prefer a congressional agreement,’
‘I believe President Trump would prefer the same,’ the Senate Judiciary Chairman continued.
One of Trump’s biggest Capitol Hill allies and frequent golf buddy also wrote the executive orders were a good move from the president.
‘Great decision by President @realDonaldTrump to use executive orders to continue the federal unemployment supplement at the $400 level,’ Graham tweeted.
Republican Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander shared the same sentiment.
‘Pres. @realDonaldTrump is doing all he can to help workers, students & renters, but Congress is the one who should be acting,’ Alexander tweeted Saturday.
‘Democrats should stop blocking common sense proposals to help students going back to school & college & parents going back to work who need child care,’ he said.
Trump signed four executive orders Saturday afternoon while at his Bedminster golf club, which he said during a press conference there are related to ‘China virus relief.’
The actions include suspending payroll taxes for those making less than $96,000, extending expired unemployment benefits to a $400-per-week boost, putting a memorandum on evictions and deferring student loan payments.
Lawmakers were trying to achieve some of these same actions in another sweeping coronavirus relief package, but negotiations collapsed last week.
The signage came hours after the White House signaled Washington’s gridlock had compelled the president to act as the pandemic continues to ravage the country’s economy just months before the November election.
Ben Sasse: “The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop. President Obama did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA, and President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 9, 2020
