The power lies with Congress

The U.S. Constitution provides no blank check for presidents. All spending powers reside in the Congress. Spending legislation must pass both houses before they reach the president’s desk. He may only sign or veto legislation. This is Civics 101. All citizens should know this. Politicians who claim that any president has a blank check are prevaricators (deceivers).

Members of Congress have become experts in shirking their responsibilities, and making outrageous statements concerning presidents. We don’t elect dictators or kings. We elect presidents who have no legislative power except the veto. No president can cancel existing legislation like Obamacare no matter how much he might like to do so.

Republicans in the U.S. House (112th Congress) said they were going to attach a constitutional justification and authority to all legislation they promulgated. Too bad they didn’t do so even though they lacked even a grade school-level knowledge of it. Some people like to wave the Constitution around like a religious icon, but they don’t seem to have read or understood it.

This is not only a disgrace; it is a real threat to our republic.

David Webb

Spokane