0bama responds he will write the Executive Order with a quill pen.
Even as the White House insists President Barack Obama is “very interested” in raising taxes via executive action, a congressman from Florida offered a constitutional law lesson on which branch of government has that power.[…]
Buchanan sent a letter to Obama on Thursday, reminding the president the Constitution gives Congress, not the executive branch, the power to tax.
“I am writing to express my strongest possible objection at reports that you are ‘very interested’ in raising taxes through executive action,” Buchanan wrote. “Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution is clear on this matter — only Congress has the power to tax. The statement by your press secretary this week that you are ‘very interested’ in reshaping the tax code through unilateral action would be a clear violation of the Constitution and continue a disturbing lack of bipartisanship.
“As a senior member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, I stand ready to work with your administration on a bipartisan plan to lower rates and simplify the tax code,” Buchanan added. “I remind you that the last successful tax reform effort, nearly 30 years ago, required President Reagan and a Democratic Congress to find common ground. But unilateral action could poison the well of goodwill that is necessary to tackle this urgent challenge in a bipartisan manner.
“Our international tax system is in desperate need of reform,” Buchanan continued. “U.S. companies face stiff competition from foreign firms, our national debt has grown to more than $18 trillion, and we have too few good-paying jobs for American workers. Addressing these issues has to be the guiding principle for international tax reform.
“We need to fundamentally reform our tax code to make America more competitive,” Buchanan wrote in closing. “We may have different opinions about specific elements of such reform. But by working together to find common ground, we can ensure that all Americans reap the benefits of tax reform.”