Your Opinion: Executive orders disregard process

Dear Editor:

President Obama and the Democrats had veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate. In that period of time laws were passed that were supposed to improve the lives of the American people. The people elected these majorities so that no opposition could be mounted by the Republicans to stop any of the policies that the administration wished to have converted into law. The people found that having this kind of power was a big mistake.

At the mid terms the House of Representatives fell to the Republican party. The people came to the decision that no law was better than bad law. During the presidential election the people believed that President Obama was going to work with the Congress. Instead he said that he would use executive orders to do what he wanted. In this election the people put Republicans in control of Congress to stop a president that thinks he has the power of a king. A king feels at the swish of a hand can dictate the policies. We see that now with the agreement made with China on greenhouse gasses.

We live in a Democratic Republic. My hope is that the Congress will gain strength so we can get back to how the Republic was founded with each branch being equal in its responsibilities.

The Congress makes the laws and sends them to the president for his approval. If the president feels it is unjust he vetoes it or signs the law into affect. If vetoed the law is sent back to the Congress where House and Senate have the ability to override the veto. If the veto by either house is sustained the law is dead if overridden by both houses it become law. If the law is challenged in the courts the Supreme Court is the ultimate decider of the law. The Supreme Court decision is final. The people must live with the outcome. Can laws be changed? The answer is yes but it must go through the same process.

We have three branches of government. It is supposed to make lawmaking difficult so that we have laws that are the least restrictive on the people and are just. Mr. President, put your executive order pen away and follow the process as stated in the Constitution. As a professor of constitutional law you should know the constraints that the Constitution places on the power of government.