Republican presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul slammed President Obama on Thursday, saying a number of recess appointments was a “clear disregard of the Constitution.”
“By making ‘recess’ appointments to the Consumer Finical Protection Board and the National Labor Relations Board when Congress is not actually in recess, President Obama has acted in clear disregard of the Constitution,” said Mr. Paul in a statement. “And the President must be called to account for his actions.”
“It is disappointing that a former constitutional law professor does not understand that the President is not a dictator or a king who can simply ignore the Constitution whenever he feels frustrated by the system of checks and balances wisely put in place by our Founders,” the Texas Republican added.
Mr. Paul, who took third Tuesday’s Iowa caucus, is the latest Republican presidential candidate to comment on Mr. Obama’s recess appointments. Defying opposition from Republican members, President Obama on Wednesday announced he would appoint Richard Cordray to be the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, sidestepping the Senate confirmation process.
“Today, I’m appointing Richard as America’s consumer watchdog,” said Mr. Obama in a speech in Ohio. “That means he’ll be in charge of one thing: Looking out for the best interests of American consumers.”
Speaking Thursday, Mr. Paul said the appointments were the latest example of an executive power grab by the Obama administration. In a message to supporters, the Texas Republican said his campaign would continue to oppose such moves, adding that congressional action may be necessary.
“I have opposed unconstitutional power grabs by Presidents of both parties throughout my Congressional career, and this consistency leaves me as the only Republican candidate with the credibility and the record to challenge President Obama on his continuous overstepping of his constitutional boundaries,” said Mr. Paul.
