[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H962]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRESS MUST UPHOLD THE DELICATE BALANCE OF THREE SEPARATE BUT EQUAL 
                         BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

  (Mr. METCALF asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, this Congress has every legitimate reason 
to be deeply concerned about the President's barrage of, count them, 
280 Executive Orders. Congressional authority is clearly at risk. 
Nowhere is it written that the President has any authority to issue 
Executive Orders. Our Founding Fathers reserved the responsibility of 
spending taxpayers' money to the people's representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, the delicate balance of the three separate, but equal, 
branches of government is at stake. We cannot allow the President to 
issue Executive Orders that require the expenditure of Federal funds 
unless those funds are appropriated by Congress.
  Recently, Mr. Speaker, I introduced H. Con. Res. 30 which reasserts 
the role and responsibility of Congress to enact the laws and 
appropriate Federal dollars. It seeks to curb the infringement of 
executive power on legislative authority. Furthermore, H. Con. Res. 30 
will clarify any confusion regarding Executive Orders by emphasizing 
Congressional authority granted under Article 1, Section 8, of the 
Constitution.
  Please join me in cosponsoring this bipartisan resolution.

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