Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after voting in favor of H. Res. 676, a resolution to allow the U.S. House of Representatives to initiate litigation against the Executive Branch for failure to take care that the laws be faithfully executed:
“In the Constitution, our Founders established a system of government with separate powers and explicit checks and balances. Under our Constitution, Congress makes the laws, the President executes the laws, and the Judiciary settles legal disputes in a way that protects the Constitution and the constitutional rights of our citizens. The Founders meticulously designed this system in a way that does not concentrate too much power in any single branch because they knew that if one branch possessed too much authority to act unilaterally, it could harm the inherent rights of the people without recourse.
“Unfortunately, we have seen this administration act time and time again in a manner that exceeds the authority granted to it by the Constitution and by Congress. It has disregarded the constitutional constraints on its powers and effectively re-written laws without Congress’s consent. Efforts to rein in this activity through congressional oversight have been ignored, and now we must petition the Judiciary to compel the Executive to faithfully execute the law as provided by the Constitution. This is an action we do not take lightly, but each of us in the House has been sworn to protect and defend the Constitution – just as the President has. It is with that solemn obligation in mind that I support this action to preserve the balance of powers and to protect and preserve the freedom of the American people.”
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