What We Read Today 22 November 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

House Republicans File Obamacare Lawsuit (Igor Bobic, Huffington Post) Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have filed a law suit accusing President Obama of “acting without congressional authority” when he ordered a delay in implementation of the employer mandate under PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, aka Obamacare).

The suit also alleges the “giveaway of $175 billion to insurance companies” by the administration under the law is illegal because “the funds weren’t explicitly appropriated by Congress“. House Speaker John Boehner (R, Ohio) made the following statement:

“Time after time, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American people and re-write federal law on his own without a vote of Congress. That’s not the way our system of government was designed to work. If this president can get away with making his own laws, future presidents will have the ability to as well. The House has an obligation to stand up for the Constitution, and that is exactly why we are pursuing this course of action.”

The $175 billion for insurance companies is the estimate of payments to be made over the next decade to support insurance companies offering lower premium rates. Over the past year $3 billion has been spent in this way. According to the Boston Globe, ACA established the fund, but the Republican Congress has not appropriated any money specifically for it.

Rob Portman: Obama Will Face ‘Lawsuits’ If He Acts Alone On Immigration (Igor Bobic, Huffington Post) Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) warned that Republicans would take legal recourse if President Obama goes forward with a planned executive action on immigration, a move the senator from Ohio described as “illegal.” House Speaker John Boehner (R, Ohio) told reporters that “all options are on the table“, even if that means triggering a shutdown. However, incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), pledged a government shutdown would not happen. Republicans are feeling their oats following their party’s resounding victory in the November midterm elections. Bobic writes they are “clamoring for a fight“.

Obama’s Immigration Action Shows the Limits of Executive Power (Edward Alden, Council on Foreign Relations) Alden says the president has not really done much. The people covered by his order had “extremely small” probability of deportation to begin with and the order is temporary. There is nothing in the order that moves the covered people any closer to permanent residency status or makes them eligible for any U.S. social programs like food stamps, welfare, Obamacare insurance policies, Medicare or Social Security benefits. Econintersect: However they do pay the payroll taxes that support some of these programs. To change the status of these “visitors” in any permanent way requires congressional action.

Obama sabotaged immigration reform efforts: GOP (Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC) Here is a video which presents two partisan positions on immigration reform and the president’s executive order: