First the Russians dis the King and now
CONGRESS SLAPS DOWN KING oBAMA
I Love It! THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________
June 26, 2009
The White House - Press Office -
Below is a statement from the President upon signing HR 2346 on June 24, 2009:
Today I have signed into law H.R. 2346, the "Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009." This Act provides the necessary resources for our troops while supporting ongoing diplomatic and development efforts around the world.
We face a security situation abroad that demands urgent attention. The Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda is increasing its attacks from its safe haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The funding provided in this Act will ensure that the full force of the United States is engaged in an overall effort to defeat al Qaeda and uproot this safe haven.
At the same time, funding contained in this Act will provide resources to help create political and economic stability in post-conflict areas. These funds will assist Afghans and Iraqis in protecting and sustaining their infrastructure and building their capacity for more responsive and transparent governance. The Act also provides critical support for continued U.S. diplomatic and development activity in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
In addition, this Act includes funding for other domestic and international issues, including nearly $8 billion to enhance our Nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak. It also expands the resources available to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by allowing it to boost its lending ability. Many developing countries are experiencing severe economic decline and a massive withdrawal of capital, and the IMF needs to make sure it has the resources necessary to effectively respond to the current financial crisis.
However, provisions of this bill within sections 1110 to 1112 of title XI, and sections 1403 and 1404 of title XIV, would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions. I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations.
SOURCE:
The White House - Press Office - Statement from the President upon signing HR 2346
COMMENT:
The U.S. House of Representatives on July 9 voted almost unanimously to rebuke President Barack Obama over his June 26 signing statement openly declaring that he could ignore provisions of the law he was signing.
The bipartisan 429-2 vote was a direct result of Obama's assertion that he could ignore restricitons on how the $106 billion loan guarantee to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could be used. In his signing statement, Obama claimed that "provisions of this bill within sections 1110 to 1112 of title XI, and sections 1403 and 1404 of title XIV, would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions. I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations."
The House vote rebuking Obama was on an amendment offered by Representative Kay Granger (R-Texas) that would add the following language to the Fiscal 2010 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill (H.R. 3081): "None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Secretary of the Treasury to negotiate an agreement in contravention of [law]."
Representative Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) explained the controversy on the House floor:
Last month through the 2009 supplemental bill, Congress provided an expansion of resources and powers to the International Monetary Fund as requested by President Obama. This included $108 billion in new funding and approval for the IMF to sell 13 million ounces of gold to fund their internal operating expenses. As part of that bill, and consistent with its oversight role, Congress gave the administration clear guidelines on how an expanded IMF should function. On June 24,
President Obama decided to disregard those congressionally mandated guidelines. Upon signing the 2009 supplemental into law, the President issued a signing statement that said he would ignore sections 1110, 1112, 1403 and 1404 of the supplemental. This Congress, Democrats and Republicans, should not allow any administration to disregard a statutory mandate, especially on issues of transparency and accountability.
President Obama's ridiculous claim that he has "constitutional authority to conduct foreign relationsŠ [and] engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations" is pure hyperbole from a constitutional standpoint. The signing statement is a clear attempt to say that he can make his own law - without Congress - with regard to how money is spent, in this case how a $108 billion loan guarantee would be conferred upon the International Monetary Fund. But the U.S.
Constitution is unequivocal about who is in charge with regard to law-making, with Article I, Section 1, Clause 1 of the Constitution stating categorically: "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States." Congress also has exclusive power over spending money, including even the current foolish gift to triple the size of the International Monetary Fund under Article I, Section 9, which states that "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law" and under Congress' exclusive power to "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations" under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.
By way of contrast, the President's power to conduct foreign relations is relegated to that of someone who is restricted by the will of Congress. The constitutional provisions granting the President power to represent the United States abroad are predicated upon the support of Congress at every turn in Article II, Section 2:
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and
Consuls ... but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
That Obama's signing statement was a clear assertion of dictatorial powers was recognized by Republican and Democrat alike in Congress. Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.) stressed that "we do this not on behalf of this institution, but literally on behalf of democracy, on behalf of the process by which people get elected and deliberate and do this. And there is a kind of a unilateralism, in an undemocratic, unreachable way, to these signing statements that is the opposite of what we do here."
When even his fellow liberal Democrats are rebuking him with such strong language, stating that his actions are a threat to free government itself, then you know Obama has really gone off the
dictatorially deep end!
SOURCE: http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/congress/1402~~~ Be a Liberal ~~~
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