WASHINGTON, D.C.—Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) issued the following statement today after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the U.S. House of Representatives in their lawsuit against the Obama administration for funding Obamacare’s cost-sharing reduction program without an appropriation from Congress:
“Today’s ruling is an important victory for the rule of law and the separation of powers so critical to America’s representative democracy,” Scalise said. “I applaud the court for ruling against President Obama’s illegal overreach, and I hope this will be one of many crucial steps in restoring the power of the purse to Congress. With our victory today, it proves the House will not sit by and allow this administration to circumvent our nation’s laws simply because they can’t get their way with Congress.”
In the lawsuit, House Republicans argued that the Obama administration was engaged in a violation of Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution, which states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”
Today’s ruling vindicates that argument, stating: “The following facts are undisputed … Congress passes all federal laws in this country. Those ‘Powers’ includes sole authority to adopt laws that authorize the expenditure of public monies and laws that appropriate those monies. Authorization and appropriation by Congress are nonnegotiable prerequisites to government spending.”
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