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Perspective: Congress, Do Your Job

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President Biden's record setting number of executive orders his first few days in office was actually just an extension of a trend established by his predecessors. Some observations:

First some orders were justified to repeal questionable Trump executive orders. Some were truly emergency measures. They also reveal a certain impermanence. Obama repealed Bush. Trump repealed Obama. Now Biden repeals Trump.

The most important, and most ominous, observation is that this is but the latest chapter in a potentially alarming story. Congress is ceding piecemeal its coequal place in our system, with potentially disruptive consequences.

Congress defaults on legislation, leaving Presidents to create the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord, and DACA through executive orders. Congress is mired in hyper-partisanship, inviting Presidents to act decisively. Congress cannot pass a budget, so it "kicks the can down the road" with continuing resolutions. Presidents deploy today our troops based on a limited Congressional authorization from 20 years ago. Congress defers inexorably to Presidents who are not reluctant to act. It regularly defers to administrative agencies to regulate when it should legislate.

The most basic function of government is to legislate. Sadly and ominously, the most basic branch is not performing adequately the most basic function.

I am Bob Evans, and that is my perspective.

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