Let's Hold Obama Accountable for Misdeeds
During one Republican debate, a question was raised to candidates about the president's foreign policy blunders and missteps.
Sen. Marco Rubio stated that Obama's disastrous foreign policy was not out of incompetence but by design. According to Rubio, the president knew exactly what he has been doing. Others, such as Donald Trump, chimed in that it was out of ignorance and weakness.
While candidates debate the reasons for President Obama's foreign policy failures, there is no debate that the United States continues to grow weaker at home and abroad. Ultimately, it doesn't matter one way or the other whether the president's actions are by ignorance or by design. All that matters is that he has unilaterally diminished our status as the leader of the free world.
To determine what is responsible for the president's blunders, one should ask a few basic questions. Why has his foreign policy been a failure? What is the reason for this failure? What is the effect or outcome of this failure?
In the seven plus years Obama has been in office, the Middle East has further destabilized, scores of refugees are streaming into Europe from Syria, terrorist organization are stronger, Iran is closer to an atomic bomb, Russia has defiantly increased its influence outside its borders, and North Korea has repeatedly tested the region's patience with increased flexing of military muscle.
I believe all this is directly related to the president's lack of a clear foreign policy strategy, his weak diplomacy, and his negotiating from positions of weakness.
Add to that, his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is currently under investigation for keeping classified information on a unsecure server, he has released dangerous prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, and his administration is allowing some Syrian refugees into the U.S. without properly verifying their intentions. These seem to me, the actions of a man who doesn't have the safety of the nation in mind.
Presidential candidates have the luxury of spending until November debating the reasons why the president does what he does, but in Congress, we need to focus on solutions.
Congress must reclaim its proper constitutional powers and ensure that no president, Democrat or Republican, can dramatically alter our nation's greatness. To address this, I've introduced two pieces of legislation that focus on the actions of President Obama and the actions of all future presidents.
The first is a formal censure and condemnation of President Barack Obama and his foreign policy missteps. Formal censure is not an act that is taken lightly. It is a mark forever on the record of a president that the House of Representatives, on behalf of the American people, strongly disapprove of their actions.
President Obama can use lofty speeches and soaring rhetoric to gloss over his failed presidency, but the American people are not convinced. It is up to the people and their representatives to hold their president accountable. This president must know that the American people do not approve of his actions.
The second piece of legislation outlines the process and procedure to rein in the executive branch. "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" in article II Sec. 4 of the Constitution is not clearly defined. This is a phrase whose ambiguity has allowed past presidents to get away with certain actions without penalty.
Because it is not formally defined, lawyers have been able to argue any which way to provide presidents cover to erode the separation of powers our founders intended.
My bill takes away any ambiguity and clearly defines what constitutes a High Crime and Misdemeanor. No longer will a president of the United States be able to operate in a gray area of the Constitution.
When it comes to holding the president accountable and upholding our oath as representatives, we need to properly define our intent and draw a bold line in the sand. By setting the parameters by which the president's power is limited, we ensure that they stay within those lines and go no further. If they were to cross lines defined in my bill, Congress has the justifiable means to take the next step; impeachment.
My bill covers all future presidents and is not aimed to hurt one party or another. It is a good faith effort to protect the American people and preserve our Constitution. It is important ensure that the tools of self-governance, entrusted to us by our Founder's, are intact and properly used to protect the people.
With these two pieces of legislation, no longer can presidents rule unchecked and unaccountable. No longer can a president "fundamentally" transform our great nation into their own selfish image. No longer will the president's lawyers argue their away around the Constitution. It doesn't matter what a president's motivation is, whether it is ignorance or design, what matters is that they are held accountable for their actions.
Both of my bills will ensure that they are held accountable, just as our founders and Constitution intended.
Ted Yoho is a Representative from Florida. Prior to serving in Congress, Yoho owned several successful animal practices and worked as a large animal veterinarian.
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