7 Comments

I believe I made the point on National Review Online (or was it NRPlus on Facebook?) that if no one has standing to sue over a blatant executive abuse of power, we are essentially in a banana republic style dictatorship.

Expand full comment
author

Indeed. It's a frightening notion. Biden's former boss criticized executive overreach before he got to the WH, then flushed all that away because he was in charge. Pen and phone and all that. Biden one-upped Obama, once again.

Expand full comment

The question of standing in cases of executive actions such as this one is exceedingly complicated, because severe executive overreach is a post-New Deal issue toward which the courts (filled with Democratic appointees) were exceedingly skeptical in the early years. The article to which Dominic Pino cites was written by a third-year law student who I wouldn't expect to be well-versed in those issues, because law school is all about learning to respect precedent, not differentiating between the underlying issues. But there is enough conflicting precedent to support any result you want the courts to reach!

It's safe to say that this issue will reach SCOTUS, since the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is dominated by Obama appointees.

Expand full comment
author

I hope so.

Expand full comment

Thank you for your input Paul. I hope someone at least tries to get this overturned, because if it goes unchallenged we can kiss our country goodbye

Expand full comment

Assuming Biden's executive action stands legally, who will pay - ultimately? Well, all of us, of course - in inflated prices and higher taxes and higher interest rates. Yesterday Fed Chairman Powell announced there will be much pain coming in higher interest rates to combat inflation. Who pays that? Not current homeowners, of course, but recent college grads looking for their first place to live. This will ratchet up the price of rents AND mortgages. Also, college graduates tend to move quickly into the "income tax paying" range of the earner scale - out of the "not paying" brackets of the lower three earning quintiles. And for those earners who thought they were safe from Biden's scheming - their 401Ks will shed a big chunk of wealth - the Dow lost a thousand points yesterday, which is just the start of what is to come. Higher prices, higher taxes and higher interest rates - that's the economy these "college grads" are inheriting, in exchange for a short-term, vote-buying scheme. They better hope it doesn't pass legal challenge.

Expand full comment

Well said Peter. If Republicans gain enough votes to override Democrats objections, at some point, they need to take a hard look at the "emergency" orders currently in effect. It may be the only way to stop this blatant overreach

Expand full comment