A Threat to Government By Law

Stripped of the various arguments made to persuade the Supreme Court to rule that President Trump may not rescind by executive order the DACA program put in place by an executive order issued by President Obama (President’s Page, Jan. 8, and On the Campus, Dec. 4), what the plaintiffs are asking the court to do is to make a president a king. Mr. Obama said months before issuing the order that he could not change the laws unilaterally. He even stated that he was not a king. Then he proceeded to act like one and issue the order.

Irrespective of the value of the DACA program or of the lack of constitutional authority for the issuance of the order, if it is held that one president cannot rescind the executive order of another president but that it may be rescinded only by statute passed by Congress, then indeed government by law is in dire trouble. And carried to its logical ending, such a ruling would mean that a president may not rescind any executive order ever issued, including one actually issued by him/her.

 It is sad to see Princeton joining in an attempt to usurp the powers of Congress.