Checks and Balances: President and Treaties.
Despite the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent end to the Cold War, the U.S and Russia have both kept significant stockpiles of nuclear weapons. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met in April 2009 to discuss ways to reduce the amount of nuclear weapons both nations possessed. After their meeting, the two nations drafted and signed New START/ CHB-III. (Article II)
What gave the President this power?
“The President shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur…”
-Article II, Section 2
An contemporary news article that relates to the powers or rights in the scenario can be found here.
Convinced that Congress won't agree to an international climate change agreement, Obama planned to bypass Congress in order to sign the climate change agreement. The agreement would force the nation to lower their fossil fuel emissions. Although the constitution requires two-thirds of the Senate to approve for a president to sign an agreement, the Obama administration believed that the agreement did not require the process to get the senate's approval. This causes many Republican lawmakers to complain and raise a fuss on how Obama and his administration is not abiding by the laws and overstepping their limits.
In Article II, section 2 of the Constitution keeps the president's power in check. In order to legally sign a treaty, the president must first get at least two-thirds of the Senate to approve. In the news article, Obama wanted to sign a climate change agreement. However, in order for him to sign the agreement, he must get at least two-thirds of the senate to approve. Obama wanted to bypass this by having his climate experts to work on a deal.
Political Cartoon
What gave the President this power?
“The President shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur…”
-Article II, Section 2
An contemporary news article that relates to the powers or rights in the scenario can be found here.
Convinced that Congress won't agree to an international climate change agreement, Obama planned to bypass Congress in order to sign the climate change agreement. The agreement would force the nation to lower their fossil fuel emissions. Although the constitution requires two-thirds of the Senate to approve for a president to sign an agreement, the Obama administration believed that the agreement did not require the process to get the senate's approval. This causes many Republican lawmakers to complain and raise a fuss on how Obama and his administration is not abiding by the laws and overstepping their limits.
In Article II, section 2 of the Constitution keeps the president's power in check. In order to legally sign a treaty, the president must first get at least two-thirds of the Senate to approve. In the news article, Obama wanted to sign a climate change agreement. However, in order for him to sign the agreement, he must get at least two-thirds of the senate to approve. Obama wanted to bypass this by having his climate experts to work on a deal.
Political Cartoon
In the political cartoon, the artist is depicting how Obama couldn't do anything about climate change. In the picture, we can see President Obama struggling to reach the pen to sign the treaty. He can not move toward the pen because the senate is chained to Obama's legs. In the back, we can see foreign leaders frowning and laughing at Obama. By depicting Obama in this struggle to reach the pen, the artist is depicting how powerless Obama is when he is bound by the senate and made into a laughing stock.
This political cartoon relates to Article II, section 2 of the Constitution. In that passage, the Constitution states that two-thirds of the senate must approve before the president can sign a treaty. In the political cartoon, we see the senate chained onto Obama's legs, preventing him from signing the Climate Treaty. Because the senate did not give their approval to Obama, Obama is bound by the Constitution and cannot sign the treaty. |