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Senator Mike Lee vs. the President

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    Sen. Mike Lee, (R-Utah), explains why the President called him out in his weekly radio address and what’s next in the Constitutional crisis over the...

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We're coming up the whole works for the entire country is certainly not what our founding fathers envisioned.

Certain -- our founding fathers envisioned our next guest entered the congress last year with a personal and political mandate to pull the federal government.

Back into the confines of the constitution.

And that earns him a rebuke.

From President Obama Republicans are fuming over the president's recess appointments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and to the National Labor Relations Board.

Republicans did the same thing to Democrats in the past and their message was the same as the Democrats today.

We win you lose fair and square.

Joining us now with his take on this is the senator coming up -- works for President Obama and -- unconstitutional.

Appointments.

Utah Republican senator Mike Lee good friend of the show center -- welcome here.

They don't get what what did you think when he attack you personally.

From the white house press -- Yet today.

Well first of all I was honored that he would give me them that much power and credit I didn't realize they had quite that much.

But seriously I'd I'd just reflect back on the many conversations I've had with constituents throughout my state with people from around the country.

Who have expressed outrage and who feel sort of helpless in this recognizing that the president has taken power that does not belong to him.

He's taken it from the American people and that power belongs to the people and it's supposed to be exercised through their elected representatives and the senate.

Not through the president of the United States acting as a sort of imperial monarch.

All right so here's here's what the president did the president wanted this very very big government progressive left wing guy to have this new job that was created under dot frank.

And and that gives them the power to regulate and to monitor almost every financial transaction in the country he proposed -- to the senate because the law requires senate confirmation.

The senate rejected him he appointed the guy anyway when the senate was on vacation he did the same thing to the National Labor Relations Board appointed to people on the senate wasn't there.

Who we couldn't get through the senate.

To do presidents of both parties do that or is there anything uniquely different are exceptionally unconstitutional.

About what President Obama did suddenly.

No just this one is unique this one is completely unprecedented.

There is never in our history in the American republic.

And another president that I'm aware of who has appointed someone nominally as a recess appointee.

While the senate was literally not in recess by its own terms according to its own definitions and according to the customs and practices that have default under the constitution.

Because the president decided that he would decide what the meaning of recess -- Rather than allowing the body that was -- was not in recess to follow its own rules that's I think the core of the violation here that's the assumption.

By the executive of powers uniquely and discreetly give into the legislative branch the power to write your own house rules.

That is absolutely right in that powers unequivocally given the United States senate and not to the president.

We get to establish our own rules our own procedures.

And we set our own schedule not the president of the United States.

He -- tried to irrigate that power to himself but he's not allowed to -- where's this going to go -- -- -- is in office and it's collecting a paycheck and as exercising.

-- and so of these two appointees to the National Labor Relations Board canvassed senate or the congress possibly on do these appointments.

Well if it can I suppose in a sense there's.

-- things that'll happen number one I'm sure you'll see a number of senators including myself.

Joining litigation at least -- -- -- a filing friend of the court briefs.

-- the real parties in interest start to challenge orders issued by the CF TB and -- and alarm being with the participation of these illegal recess appointees.

You'll also see a few senators it -- at least me anyway.

Refusing to cooperate with the Obama administration in the same way that I've given my cooperation up that up until this point I I think the -- day.

Say coming up the works.

Good without good -- to deal with the -- and please come back Karen let us know how this story plays out it's a pleasure center currently thanks for joining us.

Thank you.

My good buddy Charlie Gasparino.