Posted by
Always To The Right on Thursday, February 04, 2010 6:37:07 PM
Orszag has to get Congress to amend the law in order to use that TARP
money for other purposes, but even the Democrats in Congress should be
wary of allowing the executive branch that kind of slush fund — which
is exactly what this is. The Constitution makes clear that the
legislative branch controls appropriations, and for good reason. That
is almost the only way Congress can hold the executive branch
accountable for its spending and actions. Allowing any
President to control tens of billions of dollars in blank-check funds
strips the people’s branch of an important check on executive power.