LAFAYETTE PARISH — As President Donald Trump signs a series of executive orders that affect millions of Americans, questions arise over the power of the presidency. Many are left wondering which actions he can actually enforce and which ones might be subject to limitations.
To help clarify these questions, KATC spoke with Dr. David Hughes, an associate political science professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. "The American system is premised upon separation of powers and checks and balances," said Dr. Hughes. "Congress has the power of the purse. They control the allocation and spending of every federal dollar, while the president's role is to execute the laws that Congress has written."
In his first two weeks in office, President Trump signed nearly 40 executive orders, covering a wide range of policies, from immigration to public education. The most recent of these actions bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Dr. Hughes, along with many legal scholars, believes that the Supreme Court will likely need to weigh in on the constitutionality of some of these executive actions in the near future.
"There is a question about whether A, the president's actions are legal, and B, whether they’re constitutional," Hughes explained. "In the 1970s, Congress passed laws to prevent presidents from withholding funds, after Nixon's impoundment strategy. The president’s discretion to not implement certain laws is also in question, especially since Article II of the Constitution requires the president to ensure that U.S. laws are faithfully executed."
Trump has signed more executive orders in a single week than any of the last 15 presidents.
