A spokesman for the speaker of the House has reportedly confirmed to The Hill that Boehner is considering a lawsuit against President Obama for signing executive orders.
Just don’t ask which executive order.
Press secretary Michael Steel provided no other details regarding timing of a decision and didn’t pinpoint specific executive actions Boehner would challenge.
“The President has a clear record of ignoring the American people’s elected representatives and exceeding his Constitutional authority, which has dangerous implications for both our system of government and our economy,” Steel said in a statement.
In an environment where conservatives believe Michelle Obama’s healthy school lunch program is an overreach, this statement from the speaker’s office is so vague as to be meaningless.
Given that same-sex marriage, environmental regulations, and Obamacare have already had their day in court, that leads me to believe their next target is immigration.
Although the electoral implications of such a lawsuit should be obvious by now, I would not be entirely shocked if Republicans file a lawsuit aimed at accelerating deportations. And while it’s been clear for at least a year that comprehensive immigration reform would never pass the House, not many would have predicted the Republican party was suicidal enough to file a lawsuit to kick children or “DREAMers” out of the country following the 2012 election.
If House leadership ultimately chooses not to file a lawsuit, it’ll be because they couldn’t narrow down an executive order that they would have any legal grounds whatsoever to challenge. It won’t be for a lack of desire.