Roll Call: Pruitt: State AGs Last Line of Defense Against Increasing Federal Overreach
Pruitt: State AGs Last Line of Defense Against Increasing Federal Overreach
By Scott Pruitt
April 3, 2013
In President Barack Obama’s first term, his administration joined with Congress to pass a number of laws that dramatically extended the federal government’s reach into state sovereignty. If his rhetoric is an indication of actions to come, the disturbing practice is going to be amplified. Even more problematic is that if Congress fails to enact the president’s agenda, Obama has flatly stated he will go around them.
As attorneys general and chief legal officers for our states, it is our duty to stand as the last line of defense against this overreach. Attorneys general are tasked with enforcing our states’ laws and upholding the Constitution of the United States. Like a referee or an umpire, we are here to ensure the rules aren’t broken.
It is disappointing that the president continues to take actions requiring state attorneys general to defend the rule of law and the personal freedoms of our citizens. From congressional actions pushed by the president, such as the Affordable Care Act and Dodd-Frank, to outright illegal administrative actions, such as those from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department, the greatest challenges attorneys general face stem from the administration’s aggressive strong-arm tactics.