Politics
Obama bypasses Congress
President Barack Obama. File PHOTO
President Barack Obama’s new slogan, “we can’t wait”, appears to be more than just rhetoric as the president increasingly relies on executive orders rather than risk his proposals being voted down in Congress.
The president signed a new executive order on Monday requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address a shortage in prescription medicine, the fifth such order in a week.
Obama used the power of his office last week to issue new orders tackling everything from student loans and house refinancing to support for research and development, and said he would launch a new initiative every week until the end of the year.
Obama’s US$447 billion American Jobs Act has stalled on Capitol Hill and his attempts to pass pieces of it, such as bills to help local governments retain teachers, firefighters and police officers, have also failed in the face of Republican opposition to any increased spending.