Democratic Rep Brad Sherman Begging for the Rule of Law

Congressman Brad Sherman (D-West Valley) has adopted the argument that President Obama can ignore Congress on the nuclear deal he has worked out with Iran, just as Obama has bypassed Congress on immigration and gun policies.

Sherman questioned Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the upcoming deal. Before Kerry’s unclear responses to Obama’s potential non-compliance with Congress, Sherman informed the Secretary of State that certain laws will come into effect following the Congressional override to the President’s veto.

The Daily Caller reports:

Sherman, a Democrat who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, grilled Sec. of State John Kerry Tuesday over whether the administration would follow the law if Congress votes against the administration’s deal with Iran and overrides the president’s veto.

“So, you’re not committed to following the law if you think it’s a bad law?” Sherman asked.

"No,” Kerry said. “I said I’m not going to deal with a hypothetical, that’s all.”

 Sherman later told reporters Wednesday that there were different options on the table that Obama could seriously consider if the Congress overrode his veto.

Sherman shared growing concerns about Obama’s executive insouciance in the administration’s dealings with Iran conflict. Yet for the past three years, he has supported Obama’s executive amnesty actions on immigration.

 

Congressman Brad Sherman (sherman.house.gov)

In 2012, Sherman argued for permitting twelve million illegal aliens to receive documents in order to unionize and seek better pay, and supported the President’s DACA executive action. The Daily Caller reported on Sherman’s comments:

“We need a regular process by which the 12 million people who are part of our society can be fully part of our society, and they need documents,” the congressman said. “It’s important for the labor market of this country because as long as there are 12 million people without documents, there are 12 million people who can’t stand up for their rights as workers, and that means there are 12 million people who can be used by unscrupulous employers to keep down wages and to prevent unions from organizing.”

Sherman was joined at the press conference by Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Each member thanked President Obama for his executive order to stop the deportation of certain illegal immigrants, but they said it was only the first step in a process Congress needs to finish.

Sherman offered these comments possibly to bolster his chances in a contentious reelection fight that year. He courted further controversy during this heated intra-party general election clash with thirty-year senior Congressman Howard Berman. Their political contention got physical during a Pierce College debate, when Sherman grabbed Berman and shouted: “You wanna get into this?!” A sheriff jumped onto the stage to help calm down the situation.

What prompted the physical altercation specifically? Which of the two had first advanced and supporters legislation for in-state college tuition for illegal aliens.

After winning in 2012, Sherman would face increased pressure from constituents over Congressional inaction on immigration enforcement, too. Despite these policy concerns and controversies, Sherman won reelection in 2014 by thirty points. The West Valley Democrat then voted against the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014.

Sherman’s frustrations about the Obama-Kerry-Iran bring to mind the ominous warnings of Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-South Carolina):

“The rule of law is the greatest equalizing, unifying force we have in our culture. And when you play political games with it, you may benefit today, tomorrow you will beg to have the law enforced, so just be careful what you do with it today. Be careful what you do with the law today. If you weaken it today you weaken it forever.”

One of those begging now includes Congressman Brad Sherman.