Distressed Media Laments the Executive Branch Getting Weaker – Opinion

Many Americans, not just those on the left, are concerned that the federal government is growing in power and size. The result of this growth is the government’s direct interference in so much of our lives, and it’s pushing voters to turn away from the current ruling party in the upcoming midterm elections.

At the moment, at least one case is before the Supreme Court, which could effectively curtail executive power. The fine people over at POLITICO are extremely concerned about this.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this month hobbling the Biden administration’s efforts to rein in greenhouse gases — but its impact could weaken Washington’s power to oversee wide swaths of American life well beyond climate change.

The upcoming decision on the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate oversight offers the conservative justices an opportunity to undermine federal regulations on a host of issues, from drug pricing and financial regulations to net neutrality. Critics of the EPA have clamored for the high court to do just that, by declaring it unlawful for federal agencies to make “major” decisions without clear authorization from Congress.

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That has implications for other major rules that President Joe Biden’s agencies are writing or defending in court, including wetlands protections, limits on car and truck pollution, insurance coverage for birth control under Obamacare, and even the Trump administration’s attempts to lower drug prices.

“A narrow reading of what the federal agencies can do is going to literally handcuff the federal government from taking action to protect Americans’ health safety and the environment,” said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor at Georgetown University.

Current case before the Supreme Court West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, concerns the EPA’s sweeping “clean air” rules to regulate carbon emissions out of existence via strenuous regulations on the U.S. economy. All levels of the judicial branch have questioned whether a body non-legislative like the EPA can take legislative-type action. In this instance, a ruling against EPA would legitimize these concerns and create a Constitutional backlash to the big government forces.

This little scary story actually has good news and isn’t the negative news that they would like to present. Because the federal government and the executive branch are less powerful, the system can heal. You might be able to limit government excesses and abuse, but it is possible.

My fascination with the idea that Trump could be in charge of the government has never stopped me from being puzzled. If it’s possible for one man to abuse the government to the point that there is worry he can overturn democracy itself, then maybe that position of power should have less power.

But, of course, we’re referring to the government’s ability to regulate in the name of fighting climate change, which is clearly a good thing to expand the executive’s power for. As long as it’s for a good cause, right?

POLITICO laments the reining in of Washington’s ability to “oversee wide swaths of American life,” something that was never the intention of the United States government at its inception. In the Constitution, the federal government is to be limited in its powers and delegate most of the governance to states. It must also maintain individual freedoms and rights of Americans. The Founders did not envision an American government which would regulate American life and oversee American affairs. This idea is completely contrary to the original ideas.

Too long has the legislative branch allowed its legislative power to be taken over by the executive. This is the perfect opportunity for Congress to take its power back – responsibly – and start holding the executive branch accountable. That would need to be done with the help of both Senate and House leadership.