With a near even split in the US Senate and House, very little of Biden's and the liberal lefts agenda is getting passed. Traditionally, the party controlling the White House looses seats in Congress during the midterm elections. Considering that and the fact that Biden's approval rating is at record low levels, Democrats only hope to see their wish list reach fruition will be by Presidential Executive Order.
For those that don't know, an executive order is an official directive to federal agencies that often have much the same power of a law. Throughout American History, EO's as they are often called are a way Presidents expand government though often controversial.
The US Constitution does not directly define or give the president authority to issue presidential
actions, memorandums or proclamations. The implied power comes from Article II of the Constitution.
With executive orders, the president instructs government to work within guidelines provided by
Congress and the Constitution. In effect, this allows the president to push policy changes without the
consent of Congress. The president does not make law or appropriate funding, only Congress has that authority. To keep the president from abusing the authority, EO's are subject to review by the SCOTUS and lower Federal Courts. Congress can also over-ride an EO by passing new legislation.
As a bit of FYI, every president since George Washington has used EO's. Lincoln used EO's to enact
his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 while FDR used an EO mandating the Internment of Japanese Americans in 1942. Roughly 16,000 EO's have been ordered by American Presidents. Right or wrong, they are here to stay.
On a lighter side, I was thinking about current world events concerning Russia, China and the good old USA. Memory took me back to the early 1960's when the three world powers were in the midst of the great cold war. Today's youth might ask, “ what is a cold war and was there a hot war”? Arming the world with nuclear missiles as a deterrent was common place. America placed missiles in Europe aimed at Russia. Russia put missiles in Cuba aimed at America. School kids practiced fire drills and bomb drills in school. Fire drills focused on a safe escape from burning buildings. Bomb drills focused on sheltering from a nuclear blast usually under a desk in the classroom. Fortunately, nuclear bomb drills never reached anything more than a drill during the cold war.
During that period of time, we had no internet, no cell phones, no satellite or cable TV. For most of us we had ABC, NBC and CBS black and white TV from 7am to 11 pm. Somewhere around 1961 or 62, I saved my lawn mowing money and bought a Heath kit shortwave radio. I was about 10 years old but followed the step by step directions, soldering and assembling the four tube radio kit. Yes I said tubes, well before transistors. As luck would have it, the radio worked. I strung a long wire antenna out the window and through the trees. Remember, we were pretty bored in
those days, we played outside during day light and watched weekly TV shows with the family in the
evenings. I spent many late night hours tuning into the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe
broadcasting Liberty and The American way around the world. While America covered the world with anti-communist propaganda, Radio China, Radio Moscow, Radio Cuba, Radio Prague, Radio Berlin and others aimed their transmitters at America promoting communism and it's version of equality to the free world. At the same time there were several high powered stations around the world promoting Christianity, one that comes to mind was HCJB transmitting from Quito Ecuador.
Eventually Russia was broken up into a number of smaller countries, the Berlin wall came down, China became Communist Capitalist, Cuba moved deeper into poverty and communist propaganda slipped into the American education system.
The Cold war still exists, it is found all around us. Sadly as in the past, communism still promotes
equality, everyone is equally miserable and impoverished, except the leaders. Some things change little.
Terry Harper, State Republican Executive Committee Chairman for Senate District 21
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