In a desperate attempt to derail the Obama presidency and upset the will of the people, the House voted along party lines to sue the president on Wednesday. The vote went down as 220 – 201 and represents a first of its kind lawsuit in the history of the U.S. government.
But this vote was not about treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors that would call for impeachment. This vote was about Obamacare and the provision that would penalize businesses that do not offer basic health insurance to their employees. What makes this argument ridiculous is that the Obama administration has delayed this portion of the provision until 2016 and the Republicans are attempting to repeal the provision, even though it has yet to take effect and are suing Obama for failing to enforce the provision.
This major piece of House legislation comes just before Congress goes on its scheduled five-week vacation in August. Speaker of the House John Boehner stated that the lawsuit “Isn’t about Republicans and Democrats. It’s about defending the Constitution that we swore an oath to uphold, and acting decisively when it may be compromised.”
But many political analysts have called this lawsuit a political stunt and an attempt to involve the courts in a political spat between two arms of government. More importantly, Republicans are trying to get the courts to redefine the power of the presidency and stir up the Republican voting bloc. But all of this is having the opposite effect as the Democratic party and the Obama administration have used the furor to draw attention to the schemes of an obstructionist congress and to raise millions in campaign funds.
The lawsuit is expected to fail and millions of taxpayer dollars will be wasted on a showboating attempt by Boehner and other Republicans.
