Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S.  Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today joined more than half of her Senate Republican colleagues in sponsoring legislation introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to ensure the president upholds his constitutional duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law (ENFORCE the Law) Act implements a procedure that allows Congress to authorize a lawsuit against the executive branch if the administration fails to “faithfully execute” the laws.
 

“It’s the president’s responsibility to abide by the Constitution he swore to protect and defend – that means faithfully executing our nation’s laws,” said Fischer. “Unfortunately, what the American people have seen from this administration is an unprecedented level of government overreach and too many efforts to work around Congress through executive orders. This bill re-establishes the principles of checks and balances our government was founded upon and promotes accountability to push back against unlawful overreach by the executive branch.”
 

The ENFORCE Act provides for expedited consideration of lawsuits filed against the executive branch by Congress for failing to faithfully execute the laws. The legislation establishes that cases would first be considered by a three-judge panel at the federal district court level and also provides for direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
 

Text of the ENFORCE Act is available HERE.
 

Senator Fischer has worked on numerous efforts to fight against executive overreach. She recently wrote President Obama to raise concerns and seek answers about his administration’s use of executive actions to pursue its agenda. The letter specifically addressed changes and delays issued by the administration to the Affordable Care Act.
 

Fischer also joined a resolution of disapproval to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from imposing through executive order its proposed rule effectively banning construction of new coal-fired power plants. The resolution would ensure the Senate has a chance to vote on and repeal the regulation before implementation.

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