George Will on curbing Presidential Power
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On Jan. 3, the 117th Congress will convene. It is not clear why.
Presidents make war without congressional involvement. They declare “emergencies,” with Congress’s permission, “repurposing” money for projects Congress did not authorize. The Constitution vests in Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations,” but Congress has vested presidents with the power to utter “national security,” thereby justifying, for example, tariffs on metal imports from Canada, a military ally. And on washing machines. Really. And the power to disburse billions to compensate farmers for injuries a president inflicts by initiating a trade war. Congress thinks it sets immigration policy, but presidents can substantially alter it by invoking “enforcement discretion.” The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 requires Congress to pass a budget resolution by April 15, but it rarely does. In eight fiscal years since 2010, it has not passed one. The 12 subcommittees of the House and Senate appropriations committees are supposed to draft bills to fund the government’s components and pass them by Sept. 30. Congress has passed all 12 appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year only four times since 1977. Only about 10 percent of appropriations bills are enacted before the beginning of the fiscal year. In 40 of the past 44 fiscal years, Congress has resorted to continuing resolutions to keep the government open. Since 1977, there has been an average of 4.6 continuing resolutions per year. Sixty-four percent of members of the 116th Congress have never served under a regular budget and appropriations process.
It goes on. Worth a read.
