Legislation would end loopholes used by President to circumvent Congress.
On Thursday, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) joined U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and others to introduce the Checks and Balances Act (S.4427). The legislation would close loopholes that the Biden administration has used to diminish the constitutional role of Congress in serving as a check on presidential power.
S.4427 would amend the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to ensure that “task forces” are subject to a resolution of disapproval. It would also clarify that agency decisions on behalf of the President are also bound by a CRA, which established an expedited process for Congress to consider joint resolutions of disapproval to invalidate certain federal agency regulations.
Senator Hyde-Smith said that people should be alarmed by the fact that a presidential task force has any power to issue mandates and edicts that can destroy the livelihoods of average workers.
“It’s just not right,” Hyde-Smith said. “I appreciate Senator Sullivan taking the lead on legislation to close a loophole that is being exploited by this administration in order to protect the constitutional role of checks and balances in our government.”
Senator Sullivan authored the Checks and Balances Act following a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) determination that a CRA resolution of disapproval does not apply to President Biden’s vaccine mandate on federal contractors because Biden’s executive Order was directed at the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and not a federal agency.
“Our country’s system of government, guided by the Constitution, was founded on the basic principle that no one branch of government should ever accumulate too much power. The power always remains with the people who elect us to represent them. For this very reason, we have a system of checks and balances set up to prevent unilateral power grabs such as the President’s unconstitutional vaccine mandates,” said Sullivan.
“These mandates are not supported by the Constitution or statute, and have negatively impacted our nation’s workforce—forcing contractors to fire employees who are responsible for some very important work. Congress has a duty to check the President’s power in this area, which is why today I am introducing legislation to close these loopholes in the law to ensure no President can ever again abuse the limited authority granted them by the Constitution of the United States,” the Senator from Alaska continued.
In addition to Hyde-Smith, Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), and Mike Braun (R-IN) also cosponsored the measure.
You can view the full copy of the Checks and Balances act (S.4427) below.
The Checks and Balances Act (S.4427) by yallpolitics on Scribd
Anne Summerhays
