Why is John Boehner suing Barack Obama when the House could cut off funding instead?
As you all know by know, the House has voted to sue Barack Obama for what it considers to be over-reach on the behalf of the President. As you also should know all revenue bills must originate in the House so why go through this process when the House can simply vote not to fund what it considers to be Barack Obama’s over-reach?
According to this article John Boehner had a convenient excuse when asked about this possibility:
“Now, when it comes to that issue, some of these actions that you could defund, there clearly isn’t, I wouldn’t guess, an appetite in the United States Senate to withhold those funds,” Boehner said. “That’s why we’ve decided that the more direct approach of suing the president is the right path to go down here.”
As I alluded to above, the House controls the purse-strings so it really does not matter whether or not the Senate has an “appetite” to withhold the funds; if the House was serious about this matter they would vote to defund and if the Senate refused to act on this measure the funds would eventually dry up when they were not reauthorized. They do not need the Senate to go along if the House was serious about stopping the President. Yet suddenly John Boehner is worried about what the Senate will do when it does not matter?
But that would mean actually fighting for something and in reality it is John Boehner who is lacking the “appetite” to do what he claims he believes in.
I have been saying for quite some time that this lawsuit was nothing but a political gimmick designed to make it look as if the establishment Republican leadership was doing something while in fact doing nothing because they know this lawsuit is going nowhere.
John Boehner is looking to the courts to fight a battle which he does not have the courage to fight for himself–that is, if he is really interested in stopping Barack Obama in the first place. And I do not think he is…
America's Watchtower 
Reblogged this on Dead Citizen's Rights Society.
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Thank you.
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Well said. Perchance if we gain the Senate and we change the House leadership an appetite might develop. Let Obama veto the dang thing. Until then, I just wish the GOP would lay low and not give the Dems any ammo. IMO.
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Dems have already bought all the ammo they need Bunker … even the Post Office has theirs!
I don’t ‘get’ how Boehner was even elected or voted in to fill Queen P’s big chair. (But, then again, there’s Biden…).
His webpage has a link: John Boehner on the Issues… COMING SOON: John Boehner on the Issues [and the rest of it – blank].
But, keep waiting and they’ll get some ‘sound good’ text fill gibberish.
He’s part of the problem, not the solution.
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I think that is exactly what the GOP should do at this point. Right now Boehner is making a fool out of himself over this border deal and that certainly isn’t going to help them in November.
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I agree that it’s a gimmick, but I disagree with your analysis of how the House could defund programs. It’s revenue bills that must originate in the House, not spending bills. Although the House traditionally ioriginates appropriates, nothing stops the Senate from doing so.
Second, let’s say the House passes a zero appropriation for a program., Oh, come on – Zero? Not going to happen. But dramatically reduced from previous years? Sure. But once the bill gets to the Senate, that body can amend the bill and change the numbers.
In fact, during recent discussions on this very topic, it’s become clear that the Senate has pretty much the same power as the House, except that it cannot institute a revenue bill – but it might even be able to attach a revenue amendment to a bill that originated in the House.
Take good care and may God bless us all!
TGY
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In the end you are right, the line on this issue has been blurred, and in fact if I am not mistaken there was (is?) a lawsuit against Obamacare because it originated in the Senate.
Still, Boehner and the GOP could hold up the funding on the legislation by not voting for it, but like you said this is never going to happen.
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I’m not sure what the point is of suing Obama in the first place. It will take years to come to fruition, after he has left Washington. Just another of Boehner’s silly tactics that make no sense.
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It is for appearances only, in my opinion, but all it is accomplishing is making Boehner look stupid.
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Reblogged this on Cold Dead Hands Days and commented:
Dog and pony show.
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Thank you.
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If you can figure out his self interest angle you’ve got his motivation for this dingbat move. Obama -1, Boner-0, but who’s keeping score…
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Time to bring in a relief pitcher…
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