I did a post the other day on the ceremonial status of the American Congress. This is a blog and I’m a crank so I tend to exaggerate for effect. I hope that makes for an entertaining read. The trouble is, I can’t see to exaggerate enough. Every time i look at the Interwbs, I see reality has shot past my exaggerated version of it. Here’s a good example.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed Monday that President Obama is “very interested” in the idea of raising taxes through unitlateral executive action.
“The president certainly has not indicated any reticence in using his executive authority to try and advance an agenda that benefits middle class Americans,” Earnest said in response to a question about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) calling on Obama to raise more than $100 billion in taxes through IRS executive action.
“Now I don’t want to leave you with the impression that there is some imminent announcement, there is not, at least that I know of,” Earnest continued. “But the president has asked his team to examine the array of executive authorities that are available to him to try to make progress on his goals. So I am not in a position to talk in any detail at this point, but the president is very interested in this avenue generally,” Earnest finished.
Sanders sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Friday identifying a number of executive actions he believes the IRS could take, without any input from Congress, that would close loopholes currently used by corporations. In the past, IRS lawyers have been hesitant to use executive actions to raise significant amounts of revenue, but that same calculation has change in other federal agencies since Obama became president.
Obama’s preferred option would be for Congress to pass a corporate tax hike that would fund liberal infrastructure projects like mass transit. But if Congress fails to do as Obama wishes, just as Congress has failed to pass the immigration reforms that Obama prefers, Obama could take actions unilaterally instead. This past November, for example, Obama gave work permits, Social Security Numbers, and drivers licenses to approximately 4 million illegal immigrants.
I’m tempted to say we need to see if Charlotte Corday has any decedents looking for work, but that would be mean. Instead, we need a modern day Simon de Montfort. His idea for a representative assembly sounds promising.
In HOUSE OF CARDS, when President Underwood usurps the Congressional power of the purse to fund his massive jobs project, leaders of both parties oppose the move and force him to heel. Back in real life, Emeritus Senator Bernie Sanders bends over and offers President Obama his withered haunches, with aplomb.
Once, I would wonder if this is one of those ‘watch what the other hand is doing’ type of scenarios, where a statement so over the top is made that it simply has to be a distraction from some piece of skullduggery.
No more. I am no longer surprised or astonished by anything these foreigners who rule over us say.
1. Big corps have big lawyers and threatening them with higher taxes via IRS edict is only going to contribute to the demand for summer homes in the Hamptons. 2. Willie Sutton says the money is in the middle class. Watch for the arguments to be couched broadly as to effect independent business people (partnerships, S corps, etc) The Millionaire Next Door types, doctors, lawyers, accountants etc. People who have neither the juice nor the resources to fight off the IRS in court. 3. In the end de Montfort was defeated, maybe not such a good model. Though today he… Read more »
Why doesn’t Obama just declare himself Emperor and get it over with? It’s not as if Congress will actually object or anything, or do their job.