On the recordDecember 8, 2015
It struck me as my colleague from Pennsylvania was talking about the Constitution. What he was getting at, Mr. Speaker, was a simple concept of authority and whether the President has authority to do what he is doing in Paris. The President is allowed to negotiate certainly. He can conduct foreign affairs. It is pretty clear in the Constitution that he has that authority to do so. But the President, on his own, does not have the authority to obligate American taxpayers to pay into any kind of fund. It is the House and the Senate that do the appropriations. I am mindful that my colleague came out of the auto business, where he sold cars. I can imagine a situation where you might have a customer coming in, let's say a 15-year-old, who wants to go in and buy a car. Of course my colleague might welcome this individual to the showroom, and this individual, a 15-year-old kid, might make an offer, but I think he is going to be asking: Well, does this person have the authority at the age of 15 to make an offer? Maybe the kid will say: Well, I am doing it for my mom and my dad. Well, you are going to want to see what authority he has. I am mindful that our Constitution gives the authority to spend money to the Congress, which would then be signed by the President. I yield to my colleague if he wants to close.
