What powers will Ron Paul have as President?

[Magicman]

I was seeing someone arguing that Ron Paul cannot get anything done without congressional and senate approval. What laws will he be able to pass on his own without congress or the senate? Like for example, bringing the troops home?

[Schiff_FTW]

He would have a lot of leeway with foreign policy, cabinet agencies, judicial appointments, executive orders and veto powers.

The president these days wields a lot of authority, even with the self-restraints Paul would no doubt put on his administration (that others would not).

[Acala]

As Commander in Chief he could end the world empire with the stroke of a pen on day one.

He could also refuse to execute unconstitutional laws. Indeed, it is the duty of the President to NOT execute unconstitutional acts. Since Congress has delegated massive amounts of government activity to the executive through the creation of administrative agencies, the President could, for example, order the FDA to cease interfering in intrastate health care. He could also order the DEA to cease enforcing drug laws intrastate. And so on.

[Athan]

Military Command
Will be in control of enforcement of laws
Can submit budget
Appoint cabinet members
Appoint judges

[donnay]

He can repeal all unconstitutional Executive Orders!

[Dr.3D]

The power to veto unconstitutional bills placed on his desk.

[jkr]

he will have a shinny new pen.
i hope he uses it a LOT

[thoughtomator]

He could eradicate every previous Executive Order with a single one of his own.

He is also CiC and can stand down our troops from the wars and call our forces home.

He can also begin the process of repairing our relationships with the rest of the world.

And I think he can also fire people, e.g. Ben Bernanke.

[EvilNight]

He has the final authority over the US Military.
He can bring all of them home immediately regardless of what congress wants.

He can counteract all prior executive orders.
He can close (without congressional approval) any departments created by executive order, with another executive order.
Right now that's the DHS, so he could end the TSA and the rest of DHS any time he chose.
It is *very hard* to find a list of government departments created by executive order vs created by congress.

He can veto asinine laws and spending bills.
He can veto the renewal of the Patriot Act and any federal subsidies.
He can put the government in shutdown over their spending by vetoing unbalanced budgets and debt ceiling increases.
He'll do it, too.

He can control the appointments of most top positions within government agencies.
At a minimum he can kick the corporate shills out and undo some of their regulatory capture.
He can control appointments of justices to the supreme court (and would choose pro-states-rights justices).

He can (in theory) order the FDA to reclassify marijuana as a schedule II drug.
He can issue a pardon releasing all non-violent *federal* prisoners who were incarcerated for drug-related offenses.

Things he cannot do without the help of congress...

Repeal bad legislation.
Pass good legislation.
Balance the budget.
Pass constitutional amendments.
Audit or influence the Federal Reserve.
Close executive departments created by acts of congress.

That includes the DEA, EPA, FDA, IRS, HUD, Commerce, Interior, pretty much all of the departments Ron is always speaking out against.

Ron himself has answered this question in detail. (http://www.yaliberty.org/yar/plan-for-a-freedom-president)

[Philhelm]

A Ron Paul presidency would be simply breathtaking to behold. Even better, the American people would be forced to listen to the message of liberty for four whole years. My heart skips a beat thinking about it. My blood boils at the alternative.

[Travlyr]

A Ron Paul presidency would be simply breathtaking to behold. Even better, the American people would be forced to listen to the message of liberty for four whole years. My heart skips a beat thinking about it. My blood boils at the alternative.

The weekly fireside chat bully pulpit would be powerful.

[oyarde]

No more executive orders , no more deficit spending signed.

[The Free Hornet]

He can redirect Federal law-enforcement forces to reduce medicare fraud and government corruption. Beyond shrinking the size of government, he can turn the beast upon itself.

A whole generation would learn and remember the folly of foreign wars, culture wars, and a government that tries to protect us from... ourselves.

[Philhelm]

The weekly fireside chat bully pulpit would be powerful.

The State of the Union address would be epic too.

[ShaneEnochs]

He'd have all the powers that Obama has, including the power to detain citizens and start wars in other countries without a declaration.

Does he have the power to repeal those powers though?

[Indy Vidual]

What powers will Ron Paul have as President?

Ron Paul dictatorship: All the 'legal groundwork' is currently in place. :eek:
Dr. Ron can undo much of the damage if given a chance.

[puppetmaster]

He can repeal all unconstitutional Executive Orders!


AND he told me this would be one of his first acts as President!

[Revolution9]

Faster than a speeding bulldog.
More powerful than a loco's motive.
Able to leap tall bills in a single veto.
Truth..Justice and The American Way.


Rev9

[helmuth_hubener]

What can the President really do?

http://www.wnd.com/2000/12/517/

[Zippyjuan]

He will have the same powers Bush and Obama have had.

It would be perhaps ironic if he used an executive order to recind all other executive orders. Of course that could be undone by the next president.

True he cannot write legislation only propose it or veto it. He has to rely on Congress to write or change the laws. Unless of course he did use that executive order thing.

[Voluntary Man]

1) Commander-in-Chief of US armed forces means he can immediately end all undeclared wars, and bring our troops home and put them on our southern border.

2) veto all unconstitutional bills passed by congress, on his watch.

3) As the Chief Executive, sworn to uphold the Constitution, President Paul could immediately cease enforcement of all unconstitutional "laws" (DoEd, EPA, IRS, ATF, DEA, DHS, TSA ...).

4) President Paul would have the unilateral power to rescind ALL unconstitutional executive orders issued by his predecessors.

5) President Paul would have the unilateral power to pardon anyone convicted under unconstitutional law.



If you ask me, this is a pretty good start.

[XTreat]

The power to expose the single party system every time he vetos a bill and they collude to override his veto.