A former U.S. attorney general has warned that impeachment is an option for members of Congress who believe that President Obama is infringing on the Second Amendment. Edwin Meese, who served as attorney general during the Reagan administration, claims that Congress could consider impeachment if the President uses executive orders to impose stricter gun regulations.
“It would be up to the Congress to take action, such as looking into it to see if, in fact, he has really tried to override the Constitution itself,” Meese told Newsmax. “In which case, it would be up to them to determine what action they should take — and perhaps even to the point of impeachment.”
Meese questioned the president’s ability to use executive actions to impact gun control issues that he claims would extend beyond the federal government. Executive orders to shift the practices of federal agencies would still be within President Obama’s power, according to Meese.
“An executive order without specific congressional authority can only apply to those portions of the government that are under his control — in their words, the executive branch,” Meese said. “Now there are some things he can probably do in regard to the actions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), or some other governmental agency in its operations.”
During his Monday press conference, Obama suggested that changes would promote the sharing of information between enforcement agencies. One of the possible executive actions in Vice President Joe Biden’s proposal to reduce gun violence included the appointment of a new ATF director, after six years without a permanent chief.
Meese’s warning of possible impeachment is a far cry from the threats pushed by conservatives earlier in the week. After the Monday press conference, a statement from Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) said that the use of executive action in the gun control was an “existential threat” to the country.
