President overstepping limits of his office

What part of Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution, which states, “he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” doesn’t President Obama understand? On Nov. 14 he issued his fix for the very broken Affordable Care Act, suspending the enforcement of the law for a year. This “fix” plain and simply is new legislation by executive fiat, an action not supported by our Constitution. His decree goes far beyond nonenforcement because it requires insurers to take actions not in the original statute in order to implement the delay.

Simply put, its legislation by the executive branch.

Even before that day, the president, by exempting certain groups from complying with the act, overstepped the limits placed on the executive by the Constitution. I thought we left the monarchy behind us on July 4, 1776, but apparently not.

We can only hope that President Obama might take a few minutes on his way to the golf course to revisit the oath he took when assuming his office, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” But I’ve had my hopes for this president dashed on the rocky shores of political expediency too many times to believe he will take his oath seriously this time any more than in the past.

Joe H. HeaterPalatine