Hearing of the
Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process
The Impact of Executive Orders on the Legislative Process: Executive Lawmaking?
Chairman, Committee on Rules
At the urging of Speaker Hastert, House committees have been expanding their programmatic oversight activities to ensure that the Executive Branch is properly implementing the public policies enacted by Congress. Executive Orders are a significant, yet less frequently examined, tool for carrying out legislative intent.
This hearing is not intended for focus on one particular Executive Order but to shine light on the whole practice and to better understand its implications for Executive Branch and Legislative Branch relations.
The President’s executive order authority is not something we have an interest in undermining. And this hearing is not focused on the actions of just one President. We, do, however, want to make sure that Executive Orders continue to be written with the appropriate constitutional or statutory authority, and that they are not used to subvert the legislative process, or to implement policies that are not in the public interest.
