Republicans Push Divided House To Approve Obama Lawsuit

Republican lawmakers pushed a lawsuit against President Barack Obama in a divided House on Wednesday, urging legislators to approve the legal action before they take a five-week summer recess.

The lawsuit, proposed by House Speaker John Boehner last month, accuses the president of greatly overstepping his constitutional rights to executive power during his time in office. The lawsuit points to specific times in which the president has subverted a congressional vote when changing policies related to immigration, labor laws, and the environment.

When announcing the lawsuit last month, Boehner said he believes the president is trying to erode the legislative branch of U.S. government. "If you look back over the past 235 years of our history there's been movement between the inherent powers of the executive branch versus the inherent powers of the legislative branch and what we've seen clearly over the past five years is an effort to erode the power of the legislative branch."

This sentiment was echoed by Republican lawmakers this week while they promoted the lawsuit to the House. "What price do you place on the continuation of our system of checks and balances? What price do you put on the Constitution of the United States?" questioned Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich. "My answer to each is 'priceless.'"

Democrats have dismissed the lawsuit as being an attempt to grab the attention of Republican voters before the next election cycle.

During a speech in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, Obama downplayed the lawsuit, saying that the legal action was a political stunt that would probably not be resolved until after he was out of office. He also mentioned that taxpayers would foot the legal expenses for such a lawsuit.

"I know they're not that happy that I'm president," the president said. "I've only got a couple of years left. Come on, let's get some work done. Then you can be mad at the next president."